Inscaped

THE GREAT DEBATES: HOW TO FIGHT IN THE NEW 1800s

2012-02-15T16:53:00.000-08:00

HATER

"A term used by others, usually being suburban "gangsters", whose lives are absolutely and undeniably defined by what others think. These people "rumble" often and think of themselves as original and/or indestructible. People that use the term "haters" are the lowest stage of the evolutionary scale. They bleed the fastest and have thought processes similar to that of a mentally underdeveloped cat." -Urban Dictionary

Good evening, class. The lesson today will consist of proper composure, maturity and eloquence when facing a debate.

Let me begin with a quick history, if you'll allow me.

In 1804, Vice President Andrew Burr shot and fatally wounded Alexander Hamilton, the first US Secretary of the Treasury. The duel that spurred legend was held in response to years of verbal public jabbing on both sides.

At that time, the Northern United States were outlawing such barbaric practices in hopes that all people could learn to use their words in such a way that they could not only express their feelings, but do so in a respectful way.

208 years later, in the age of the Internet and the Beiber (Beeber? Seeger?Beuber? I don't know...), the collective conversation of ideas can be paraphrased as this:

All of the passion of a political duel, but it lacks humanity, no?

Which brings us to this lesson. In this lesson, we will learn to accept dissent, analyze it, and respond in a way that would be more so what Mrs. Hamilton was probably hoping for.

Our subject this evening will be movies, prominently "Sucker-Punch," the all-sizzle, no-steak mindless film made for the adoration of incessant tweens.

Now I hear the rumblings in the back of the class. When people--in this case critics, which are sometimes barely human-- make statements like the one I just made, they are commonly answered in two ways. If the reply is in agreement, it's a simple matter of praise. However, if the reply is in dissent you will see all manner of juvenile retorts. Such as this:

CRITIC: "The movie spins out of control, until it collapses in a heap, senseless."

READER RESPONSE: "Well apparently you dont get the message of this movie its not just about fighting!!! Maybe somday sense will smack you in the face and you'll kno how much of a amazing movie this is!"

The replier made their point, but at the cost of any possible respect to be earned. If the movie is "not just about fighting," perhaps the reader should volunteer what other elements the critic had missed. Such an answer, if done properly would debase the critic's talent and earn the replier a valid point.

The other comment is rather hostile. To say the critic needs to be physically assaulted by sense itself is not only improbable; it's also being ranted in a statement riddled with misspellings and grammatical errors. Sense seems to have left the debate before it began!

Let's try another:

CRITIC: "I'm glad I saw Twilight for one reason: It made the phrase 'jump the shark' obsolete, to be potentially replaced with 'The vampires are playing baseball.'"

READER: "your an idiot. i can admit that it wasnt an unbelievable film but this film was made for fans of the books (mostly teenage girls) and not old, cranky, male critics! the cast and crew continuously said 'oh, well were doing this for you guys, the fans of the books.'"

A rather creative hit from the critic, leaving the response falling short. Rule of thumb, everyone: to make a valid argument, it's a battle of wits; if you don't stack up, shut up. Write that down, that's on the test.

Also, the reader made two major mistakes. First, they made an excluding statement. Saying things like "X is just not for you!" or "You just don't get Y!" than you are limiting the art in question. Major motion pictures, in this instance, are made for the general public. Corporate studios don't give millions of dollars to only entertain SOME people. So if someone "just doesn't get it," then in a certain way what you're defending has failed.

Second, the reader made it an issue of sex. Suddenly, the debate isn't about the merit of the work, it's a matter of only a certain sex or creed or mindset can enjoy it. Maybe that makes it special, but again, it leaves it open to more scrutiny. By saying something can only be enjoyed by a certain group, you're fortifying the fact that the person you arre debating is correct in not liking it. This is more of a retreating tactic. If you resort to either of these two arguments, you are waving a white flag.

The idea of debate is to respectfully state sides of an argument until you reach an understanding of each other, even if you don't agree. When someone says something that you don't agree with, learn to use the English language to your advantage. It's simple to make a blanket statement and then retreat from the discussion. It's common these days; the Internet is slowly breeding a generation of cowards and cynics who will not be able to argue about something without it leading to divorce, violence or murder.

It is impossible to distance yourself from the Internet, so the best thing you can do is take part in a discussion. If someone you know makes a statement you disagree with, start here: State your belief, state why you believe it, ask questions about their statement IN ORDER TO GAIN CLARITY. No need for barbed comments, insulting statements or name calling.

One of the greatest gifts is the gift of communication. It's right up there with Lemon Ginger tea and the wheel. And the last thing we need is a generation of people who can't debate things without throwing hot tea at each other and running our pets over.

Only happy when they make a comeback!

2012-02-14T23:25:00.000-08:00

By the time I have written this little blog post I have replayed the one minute snippet of Garbage's new single "I hate love," at least six times.

I regret nothing.

First off, I'm glad they are back. The four piece band that is a collection of seasoned professionals in the music industry. It's always surprising that people want to dismiss that fact as if that makes Garbage less authentic or relevant by some really sheer and logically inconclusive moot point. The fact of the matter is, that garbage is an amazing band that knows how to craft dark pop with little or no room for marginal error.

After the last album, the return to rock, brick-and-mortar "Bleed Like Me," Garbage was doing a more organic type of sound: crunchy guitars, Shirley Manson's seductive yet strong vocals and Butch Vig's signature I-made-the-90s production. Yet, so far the snippet of "I Hate Love" is promising. Dancey and yet mildly morose, "I Hate Love" is picking up where in theory, where the band's second album the aptly named "Version 2.0" left off. Bring on the flaw-free production!

"Not Your Kind of People" is slated for a May release. But everyone is excited to have them back, in under a minute tickets for the band's LA show sold out.

Bon Iver's win is the Grammy's big loss

2012-02-14T14:17:00.000-08:00

Justin Vernon, frontman for indie folk group "Bon Iver," accepted the Grammy for best new band tonight. Not only was it a big win for the band, it was a big loss for the Grammys themselves.

Bon Iver released their first album in 2007. In case you need a hand with this, the current year is 2012.

That's five years.

Maybe the people who make such decisions define "New Artist" as "the band you heard your grandson talking about." Or maybe you aren't considered new until you are a No. 2 Billboard success. Much like the Academy Awards, this is outing the Grammys as nothing more than a commercial reach-around for the people who keep them rich.

I want to make one thing clear: I enjoy Bon Iver. This isn't a matter of me hating on the band; it's simply an amazing showing of where modern entertainment stands: the best movies, music, etc. doesn't matter to the industry. It all boils down to who does the best job of keeping them in business.

While people are Occupying Wall Street, maybe we should have an Occupy Universal movement and try to give art back to the people who enjoy it more than money.

'Walking Dead' episode 2.8 'Nebraska' recap

2012-02-13T16:16:00.000-08:00

What a great way to start the second half of Season 2! A pick axe to a zombie head that looks like it was made for 3-D.

"Nebraska" was a tense goodbye to the possibility of hope for the characters on the show. While the obvious metaphor for the pursuit of hope was the search for Sophia, there was a lot of deeper soul searching in this episode: Dale and Shane continued their moral standoff, Shane showed some guilt (or at least some compassion) to Carol and Rick begins to realize the person he must become in order to protect his family.

Speaking of the Grimes family, they've emerged as the First Family of the apocalypse. Which is amusingly accurate at times: Rick the President, trying to keep peace when war is on their porch; Lori the First Lady, doing everything she can to heal people after "Barnegeddon" and their son Carl, who has one of the most interesting developments in the show so far.

Carl has been through a lot. He accepted his father's death. He attached to Shane, who is slowly turning into the Mad Max of murder. Carl's father then miraculously reappeared. Then Carl was shot while enjoying a deer encounter. Then he had to see his father shoot his girlfriend (or friend that is a girl). Sounds like a pretty nasty coming-of-age, no?

But in this episode, it's more about the repercussions of taking actions to survive. Whether it's moral or not, everyone would have to side with Shane in his death romp, shooting a barn full of undead former family members. But it then becomes Rick's duty to clean up his mess, leading to the most intense Mexican standoff in TV history: The Rick/Hershel/Mystery Guest showdown.

It starts off as two fathers deciding which is more important: a harsh, desolate reality? Or suffering for their family? They overall consensus of the moment seems to be that they need to take charge to salvage what they can from two emotionally wrecked families.

But it's not "Walking Dead" without a heavy dose of "Oh S#*%!" and "Oh no!"

Before the group can get back to their farmhouse, two unfamiliar faces stumble into the bar. In the zombie apocalypse, this can only mean bad things. After a simple talk and a quick urination on the floor (Philly people! geez...), it becomes apparent things have gone from bad to worse when the new faces want in on the farmhouse. So Rick makes the decision that needs to be made: a headshot on the leader and a few well placed shots on the urinator.

This move was interesting simply because it takes away Shane's main bargaining piece. Since day one, Shane has been "The Man of Action," the one who will make hard decisions. But now Rick has put down a young girl who has turned and now he has killed two men who tried to push in on his land. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see what happens when Shane is no longer the only badass.

Now for comic book fans, we know what this could mean...

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!

SERIOUSLY!!!!!

So this is eerily similar to the beginning of the Governor storyline. Which, if true, means there is some HEINOUS material on the way. So much so that all of us who read ahead into the darker parts of the story have to wonder: How the hell will they pull this off? 80% of the series coming up will be unairable! Will they stay remotely true and be the first show to have straight up torture on television? Will they ease the brakes on it and give us a watered down version? Or will they skip the storyline altogether?

Give me your thoughts below!!!

PS: Dave Navarro was on TheTalking Dead. Note to prospective stars: If you're into a show and get a chance to discuss it on TV with a producer from the show, try not to complain like a jerk the whole time.

Grammys crown new stars and salute lost ones

2012-02-13T11:36:00.000-08:00

There was no getting around it, last night's 54th Annual Grammys Awards would be held with a heavy heart. Host LL Cool J set the tone beautifully when he opened the show with a prayer declaring "we've had a death in the family."

However, it was when he said that music would help everyone through the tragedy of Whitney Houston's passing and decided we should all celebrate music, that he made it ok to relax and enjoy the rest of the show.

While it was no secret that Adele would win everything, it was still great to see it happen. It's rare that the best album of the year actually wins album of the year.

What everyone was waiting for was her return to the stage following career threatening vocal surgery. However, she stole the show with a spectacular rendition of her still awesome hit "Rolling in the Deep."

Adele ended up going six for six, including album, song and record of the year. As popular as she was before, last night's triumph has launched her into superstar status.

The night's other big winners were the Foo Fighters, who walked away with five of the six awards they were nominated for. Their only loss came in the album of the year category.

Other highlights included a fun, gold lame and pompadoured Bruno Mars trying to get the audience off their "rich asses," a very classy and understated Tony Bennett/Carrie Underwood duet and an extremely moving tribute to Etta James by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt.

However, the only moment that mattered was Jennifer Hudson's emotional rendition of "I Will Always Love You" to celebrate and remember Whitney Houston.

Hudson delivered a perfect simple version of the Whitney classic, allowing fans and friends alike to engage in a cathartic relief of their grief.

It was a moment that won't soon be forgotten as Whitney took over the Grammy stage one final time.

Whitney Houston dead at age 48

2012-02-11T21:16:00.000-08:00

On the eve of music's biggest night the industry has suffered one of it's biggest losses with the death of Whitney Houston at just 48 years old.

Houston became an international superstar in the 1980s following hits like "The Greatest Love of All," "How Will I Know" and "Saving All My Love For You." Her powerhouse vocals and girl next door appeal made her an instant success.

From the mid 80s to the late 90s Houston was the queen of R&B and pop radio with hits like "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," "Didn't We Almost Have It All," "Where Do Broken Hearts Go," "He's All the Man I Need" and "I'm Your Baby Tonight."

However, it was the film "The Bodyguard" and its accompanying soundtrack that made her a legend. The opening 45 seconds of "I Will Always Love You" display a level of tone and control that no singer can match. Couple that with the breathtaking belt of "I Have Nothing" and the album was destined to be huge.

Perhaps her greatest moment came in 1991 at Super Bowl 25 when she performed what is widely considered as the best version of "The Star Spangled Banner" just when the US had entered into the first Gulf War. The rendition was so beloved that it was released as a single and became a No. 1 hit and is still talked about to this day.

In recent years Houston became more well known for her personal struggles with drugs and alcohol, and her tumultuous marriage with Bobby Brown, but she was attempting a comeback that will sadly never come to fruition

In the coming days there will be a lot of discussion about Houston's legacy, however, those answers can be found in the voices of Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce, Charice, Celine Dion and every "American Idol" or "The Voice" contestant who tries to conquer a Whitney song.

"I Will Always Love You" indeed.

'Attack The Block' hits every target (with a Super Soaker)

2012-02-11T20:28:00.000-08:00

"Attack The Block" may not have been widely released in the United States, but it easily deserved it. In a day when people complain over refried movies more than their iPhones, (Rich People Problems!) a movie like this is an amazing cold shower of freshness.

Written and directed by Joe Cornish ("The Adventures of Tintin"), Attack The Block follows a gang of teen punks as they face an alien invasion in South London. While the concept may seem simple, the art direction and brilliant young actors make it a film you haven't seen before. Period.

One of the greatest elements in the story is the fact that their are no real heroes. John Boyega, our lead character and the one person you'd assume to be your hero alien hunter, starts the movie in a very criminal way that doesn't get very apolgetic. Which is a great thing! The story continues to build a tense relationship between Boyega and one of his potential victims, with very little common ground to be found.

I imagine this film to be "Super 8" meets "Die Hard" with some cool aliens. The "Super 8" part being all of the great actors ranging from 8 to 16 year olds. Movies with young actors have the unique ability of taking what would otherwise be a rather mature movie and adding fresh elements and sentimental feel.

While it may be too late to see "Attack The Block" on the big screen, it's an A+ that's definately worth seeing.

'The River' puts it all out there... unfortunately

2012-02-10T16:34:00.000-08:00

......sigh....

Yeah, I'm one of those people who is kind of obsessed with the "found footage" craze. And yes, I'm quite comfortable admitting it. It's done wonders resurrecting the horror genre, and it's teaching our cynical generation to just enjoy something for an hour and a half before hating it. (see www.greatideaspodcast.com, Episode 2) Shameless plug. Did you think I'm above it? Well, I'm not.

And all of the progress that "found footage" has made recently- the "Paranormal Activity" franchise, "Quarantine" (a remake of a foreign film, "REC." The sequel to that, "REC 2," is one of my top five horror movies of all time), etc.- is dashed and reduced by ABC's "The River."

For starters, taking the found footage and applying it to the long term potential of a television program is like giving a toddler the New York Times and asking them to summarize the business section for you. It's just not the place for such a request. Audiences will lose faith in a novel idea faster than the toddler will use the newspaper for confetti.

The duality of this two-hour train wreck will be it's undoing. The acting pulled you in, in a "maybe it'll be like Lost and spawn a couple of careers" sort of way. But the moment you're in, you start absorbing elements: a lost father, a misguided son, a guilt-filled wife, a dedicated film crew of friends.

Sounds like a solid start? Well then let's flip the coin and check this plot unfold. We've got a scary bat-creature, possession, ghosts, a mysterious tribe of locals, magic, dolls in the trees (WTF???), dolls in trees watching people, so on and so forth to the point where you'll ask yourself aloud "What the hell is all of this?"

It seems that the writers of the show have a ton of ideas, but they decided to take the un-"Lost" route and throw them all at you at once, as if they know time's not on their side.

By the end of the two hour debut, I had only one question: why would I want to watch this again? Week to week, do I want to put so much effort into deciphering what is and isn't important in all of the plot points being hurled at me?

At least MY side of the issue is simple: NO.

Why M.I.A. should not apologize

2012-02-09T18:00:00.000-08:00

Editor's Note: Hey friends, it's Stephanie. I wanted to introduce everyone to the magic that is Corinne Love. Corinne is an original member of the Inscaped family (you can even see her in some of the earliest shows with Tim and Dan.) She's a fantastic writer with a wicked take on pop culture and we're super excited to have her back in the fold. So without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, Corinne Love!

Apparently, M.I.A has more people not feeling her latest rebel rousing ways. The Sri Lankan rapper recently performed with Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Cee-Lo and oh yeah those guys from LMAO for a crowded Super Bowl performance. And while many people were eagerly awaiting that the Queen of Pop, Esther, Madge would do something shocking the only thing that shocked us was Madonna's choice of wardrobe.

But this performance could not go without something that had people freeze-framing their DVR's. Somewhere in the flux of the fifteen minute halftime show between the gladiator cheerleaders and whatnot, M.I.A straddled some empty area space and gave viewers what they were expecting the whole time. Her middle finger. Those used to her brash behavior were hardly surprised but it seems that many viewers sat at home clutching their Doritos in a moment of bewilderment. Somehow that handy delay system designed to keep such events from reaching audiences en masse failed to work. Ha.Ha.Ha.

Now, M.I.A. is facing legal problems due to the whole fall out. As reported in a Yahoo! Sports column, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello stated "“We do have [safeguards regarding artist conduct] written into their contracts." Safeguards that keeping those at home from flashes of the middle finger.

Despite the fact that the incident barely lasted long enough to be a matter of national security, it has been rumored that through a source close to M.I.A. that she was indeed "incredibly sorry" as quoted by the British newspaper The Sun.

Eh? Sorry?

Why would she be sorry? She obviously meant to do it. In Madonna's video "Give me all your luvin," in a Marilyn blonde wig she is *almost* doing the same thing. One look at M.I.A.'s most recent video for "Bad Girls," with her doing donuts in the Moroccan desert amidst other women in protest of Saudi Arabia's laws regarding women and driving it's very obvious she does not care what people think.

A sorry just seems like a shrug off to the people who were expecting the Super Bowl to be fine family entertainment. If NBC is not receiving complaints then no harm no foul.

The more critical are saying that M.I.A.'s gesture was a way for Madonna to inadvertently shock viewers without risking the fall out. Go figure. The fact remains M.I.A. still has an album on the horizon and a little press never hurt sales.

You know where we'll be May 4

2012-02-08T19:06:00.000-08:00

Even now, three days later I still get chills watching that trailer.

To say I've been waiting decades for this movie is an understatement. I remember playing Avengers when I was a small kid. I loved Hawkeye and Ant-Man (or whatever his codename was at that specific time, so many).

I've purposefully avoided all spoilers for this film, so far. I almost didn't watch the Super Bowl footage, but years of dreaming of this movie being made was too powerful.

I really wish I would have recorded my reaction to watching it. It would have been hilarious for some and maybe sad for others.

Nerd meltdown? Big time. At the end, which I already sort of saw at D23, my hands were shaking and there were real tears in my eyes.

Make fun of me, I don't care. Have you ever wanted something for so long that you never thought you'd see it? I remember, as a kid, my friends and I would come up with dream casts for comic films. Back then it was fun, but also a pipe dream of sorts.

We never thought something like this could happen. Heck, I was watching "Iron Man" today and during the after-credits scene I still don't believe it's real.

But, is it like a bad prom? All my life I heard about how awesome proms were, then I get around to mine and it sucked pretty hard. I waited 18 years for that?

Then again, if I'd seen a horrible trailer for what my prom was going to be I would have avoided it. Everything I've seen so far from "Avengers" I have loved.

And I've been there almost every step of the way from Comic-Con, to D23 to now.

May 4 is coming soon and finally my childhood dreams will become a reality. Remember what Willy Wonka told Charlie?

"But Charlie, don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted... he lived happily ever after."

'The Amazing Spiderman' preview: redemption?

2012-02-07T16:10:00.000-08:00

The full-length trailer was released for the new Spiderman reboot recently, and the question that has plagued it since it was a rumor remains: will this reboot redeem the jazz-dancing, emo-haired, cookie-demanding Peter Parker of Sam Raimi's infamous take?

Let's rundown the previous incarnation, then take a look at the new version:

SAM RAIMI'S VISION:

The original Sam Raimi Spiderman (2002) was an instant hit. A blockbuster unlike any other, breaking records while people of all ages flocked in for the first Hollywood-quality take. The feel was what you'd expect from Raimi: all the style of Michael Bay, substituting mindless explosions with stark, vibrant images.

Spiderman definately warranted a sequel and the one that was produced is one of the rare movies that surpasses it's predecessor. Spiderman 2 delved deeper into Peter Parker's struggle as a young adult; the pursuit of big dreams, the priority of those you love, and facing up to your heroes. The sequel definately set up the Spiderman franchise as the film to beat in the superhero genre (pre-"Dark Knight").

Then, there was Spiderman 3. This time, Raimi went bold with three villains and a needlessly heavy soap opera script including memory loss, love triangles and long lost murderers. But all of that fades to the background when the symbiote suit turns mild-mannered Peter Parker into hipster-dousche Peter Parker.

When it came to the issue of Parker's identity crisis leading to the creation of his moral counterweight, Venom, Raimi took depth out back and shot it. Five times.

The New (And Amazing) Spiderman:

For four years, "Spiderman" has hung in limbo, only rumored to be circulating as a reboot to correct the wrongs that had been done. Well, today's the day to discover that good times may be back.

While Andrew Garfield has had some minor success in the past, he really came to light in "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," made famous as Heath Ledger's final movie. Garfield made an impact as the simple, unrequited lover of the lusted-after Valentina. From there, he had a breakout role in "The Social Network," playing opposite Jesse Eisenberg in the brilliant David Fincher flick.

It only seems right to have him as Peter Parker; a lanky kid, maybe a little akward and out of his element, but still a bit of mysterious edge. Right away, you know it's going to be a much more realistic movie.

As far as other cast members go, I'd say it's hit and miss. The one that hits me as an AWESOME choice is Denis Leary as George Stacy. Maybe a bit of a type cast, but who better to chace after a super nerd than a talented bully?

Some other notables, of course, are Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy, Parker's love interest), Martin Sheen (Ben Parker, Peter's grandfather) and Rhys Ifans (as Dr. Connors/The Lizard).

Overall, on paper the movie looks like it's going to be what the first batch of films should have been: a bit more of a moody take on a loner who takes the law into his own hands.

PREVIEW TIME!

Does it take a few notes off "The Dark Knight," aiming for a grungier cityscape? Maybe. but this is the Peter Parker that should exist. He's not a mousy guy (a la Tobey Maguire), he's just a lonely kid. But, as you can see, he's got the wise cracks down, he's got the attitude of Spiderman, and it's going to be fun.

If you ask this lowly superhero nerd, "The Amazing Spiderman" pays back all debts in full.

'The Woman In Black' succeeds where its counterparts fail

2012-02-07T16:05:00.000-08:00

Last night was a momentous night for me. Not only did I rewatch "Super 8" (a surprisingly underrated throwback movie), I went to a late showing of "The Woman In Black," the first quality horror movie in the past few years (AT LEAST) and possibly one of the best I've seen.

But let's start from the top in this breakdown:

Daniel Radcliffe has been the butt of jokes since he started the Harry Potter franchise. To distance himself from such a prolific role, what better way than to disappear to a haunted marsh, desolate of magic, but full of evil atmosphere?

Much has been made of how much Radcliffe would have riding on his first major role since "the boy who lived," and I'd have to say he surpassed all expectations. In a film that doesn't spend a lot of time regaling the audience with back story, Radcliffe forms an instant bond with the viewers by simply emoting what we all feel: when we are desperate, we seem courageous; when we are fearless, it's only skin deep. Radcliffe wins us over by being as steadfast as your everyday horror hero but also very human about his decisions to remain in the thick of things. By the time our hero is in danger, we aren't just afraid of what will happen, we're afraid of what will happen to him.

The catalyst that brings all elements of the movie together is in the hands of James Watkins, whose past credits (including "The Descent 2") don't exactly promote the wonderful work he's done here. The atmosphere of the movie is done in a way that it almost feels like a dream you've had before. That in itself would be engaging, but the level of detail he adds to that feeling- the unsettling villagers, the wooden creaks, and of course the vaguely menancing spirit- forces you into a world where nothing seen or heard is ever doubted.

The story itself is based off of the novel by Susan Hill. It was done as a TV movie in 1989 and adapted this go-around, notably, by Jane Goldman ("X-Men: First Class," "Kick-Ass"). Goldman brought to this what she subtly brought to both of those films: a no-nonsense attitude that refuses to insult the movie-goers intelligence.

It's a simple premise really: a man in debt goes to a spooky house amidst rumors of a haunting presence. The same thing we may have heard one hundred times, but this movie does what others don't have the nerve to do: NOTHING. You won't see any of the conventions that have become commonplace, and the ones you do see will be crafted elegantly enough to be forgivable.

To be fair, the amount of jump scares is almost infuriating, but only because the atmosphere pulls you under a blanket of cold, dark dread.

But all in all, when you see a faint figure down a hallway, or feel a spectre ominously gliding towards our likeable hero, you will forget for a moment that you've heard it all before. You'll be listening to your childhood friend telling you a grim tale. Only this one will be full of visuals that you didn't (or didn't want to) imagine.

Getting locked up with 'Alcatraz'

2012-02-06T18:22:00.000-08:00

JJ Abrams just knows how to get to me.

Yes, the director and creator of shows like "Lost" and "Alias" has a free pass from me, but there are always limits to that.

Abrams' lifetime pass is good for a full episode of a new show of his. While I thought "Person of Interest" was a good show, it wasn't enough to keep me interested week after week.

Now "Alcatraz" on the other hand...

The show's premise is that the island jail of Alcatraz never closed, everyone inside vanished and it was covered up. Now cut to the present and these missing people are now showing up. And they haven't aged a day.

Before we get any further, yes it's kind of like "The 4400." The people here also has no memory of where they have been.

It's also like "Lost" in a sense that each episode flashes back and forth from the time on Alcatraz to the present. Each new episode follows a returning prisoner or guard and a special group tracking them down.

Jorge Garcia from "Lost" plays an Alcatraz expert and comic shop owner who provides valuable info on each returnee.

Sarah Jones plays a San Francisco cop who stumbles into the mystery when her grandfather (an Alcatraz prisoner) kills her partner.

Rounding out the team is the super creepy Sam Neill ("Jurassic Park") and Parminder Nagra ("ER").

Here's what I like about it: It's "Lost" enough to a point where it can be mysterious but not annoying. Yes, there are giant mysteries to solve, but they do answer a lot of questions so far in the first few episodes.

Obviously the how and why are they back won't be answered right away. But, we get enough breadcrumbs to keep us coming back.

The chemistry is great, especially Jones and Garcia. It's very much a ragtag partnership, but it works on so many levels.

Another interesting side note is how they explore each returnee. While we don't know their motivations (some come back to steal things, others kill), we do see how horrible their lives were on Alcatraz.

The show does a great job walking the line between explaining why they're bad and almost making the audience feel sorry for them. The guards and warden are a-holes. Above and beyond "just doing their job."

This week brings the first guard coming back, which should bring a new interesting take to the show.

Check it out.

"Alcatraz" airs Monday nights at 9 p.m. on Fox.

Best of the Super Bowl ads

2012-02-06T17:18:00.000-08:00

At this point the big game has become as much about the commercials as the actual game being played. With that un mind here are my choices for the best of a mediocre bunch.

1. Clint Eastwood for Chrysler

2. Samsung brings back The Darkness

3. Doritos Man's Best Friend

4. Metlife with every cartoon character

5. "The Voice" with a surprise guest

NBC shows that it's still fun in Super Bowl ad

2012-02-06T16:48:00.000-08:00

Here's proof that NBC still loves "Community" in its all-star Super Bowl commercial.

Judging by this fun video you wouldn't guess NBC was in fourth place.

'Smash' is NBC's last hope

2012-02-06T16:02:00.000-08:00

If you've turned on a television or been to the movies in the past month or so, you've seen ads for NBC's new musical-drama "Smash." The show follows the production of a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe.

With an all star cast that includes Anjelica Huston, Debra Messing, Jack Davenport, Brian d'Arcy James, Christian Borle, Megan Hilty and Katherine McPhee, the network is swinging for the fences with this one.

They previewed the pilot on several media platforms and while it's a really great show, it's not as mainstream as it needs to be to attract the audience NBC is hoping for.

Huston is perfect as a successful producer using the show to stay prominent during a messy divorce, Messing and Borle are fun as a composing team who are drawn out of vacation for the show, and Davenport is fantastic as the show's brilliant a-hole director. However, the real stars are McPhee and Hilty as the two actresses fighting to be Marilyn.

McPhee is the young newcomer with a spark, while Hilty is the experienced chorus girl looking to finally be a lead. They both nail their respective parts, though McPhee's character seems a touch more likable.

The series has stellar behind the scenes talent as well with executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (the guys behind "Chicago" and "Hairspray"), original music by Tony winner Marc Shaiman and executive producer Steven Spielberg.

With all those heavy hitters it's no surprise the show is great. It's one of the best new shows to come along in some time. Acting, writing, production, it's all there.

Unfortunately, the theater storyline may turn off mainstream audiences after the curiosity of the pilot wears off. Viewers don't have to be lifelong theater geeks to like the show, but, it helps.

For non-theater fans like Tim, it may be hard to invest in the show each week to keep tabs on the progress the Marilyn show is making.

With that in mind, NBC should have pulled back on the promotion and been a little less desperate for attention.

I sincerely hope the show is a hit, but if it's not a blockbuster out of the gate, NBC has left themselves no place to go.

Logging top films of 2012

2012-02-05T11:34:00.000-08:00

Stephanie and I always list our top films of each year.

We spend an insane amount of time grading, rating and ranking each film of the year to make a list that we are fond of.

I've found that life is easier if I keep track as I go along. I use a feature from Yahoo Movies that lets you review and rank films to keep a running record.

Being the nerd I am, I have lists going back many, many years.

I thought I'd share my process each step of the way that leads to finalizing the best films of the year list.

So, each time I see a movie in 2012 I'll automatically rank it.

Since I've seen three films this year, let's start this:

1. "Chronicle"
2. "Haywire"
3. "Underworld: Awakening"

Do I think these three films will end up being the top three films of 2012? No way. I mean with "The Dark Knight Rises" and "The Avengers" coming out?

Obviously this list will change dramatically as I see more films. The main thing I'll be thinking is "Was this better than 'Chronicle'?" or "Was this worse than 'Underworld'?" And then rank accordingly.

"Chronicle" was very good though. I expect it to, at least, remain in the top 10.

The Super Bowl Treatise

2012-02-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

I read an article today from Time.com entitled "Five Ways To Seem Smart About Sunday's Game."

On a scale of 1-10, as far as morbid disdain goes, this article would be a "cry in your darkened room listening to 1940s jazz" to any sports fan.

If you feel the slightest need to read this article (I'm guessing in an attempt to impress SOMEONE), don't waste your time. Not only will you be regurgitating trivia that sounds like trivia, a real sports fan, and the person you're trying to impress, will only see this as cute at best (and NOT in a good way).

Let's hash these out:

1. AUDIBLE CALLS

Players use these after the play has been decided on, but not yet run. The quarterback can make adjustments to the play if he notices some things that could be issues (coverage they weren't expecting, a possible blitz attack, etc.)

HOWEVER, while this is something that's important to acknowledge when you're learning the technical levels of the game, telling someone this at a Bowl Party will only elicit one reaction: "Yeah...so?"

2. THE DOUBLE TIGHT END PACKAGE

Stop giggling, it's a real thing. A tight end is basically a large receiver, capable of providing the quarterback with an extra blocker or being a hard-to-take-down receiver. A team that runs two of them is basically offering themselves extra protection and making for a more physical game.

HOWEVER, while being able to point out a tight end or two by name will show that you at least know a single player that's not a quarterback, quoting the stats offered will make you seem like a stalker.

3. KICKERS ARE NO JOKE

If you've seen a game, heard of a game, seen footage, or have common sense, someone who can pick you up some last second, long range points is indeed a huge deal. I couldn't start to count how many games in one season are won by a kicker's field goal or by a punter's good kick.

HOWEVER, if you start describing a kicker's workout regimen, no one is impressed. Honestly, as a fan, I would start to wonder by now if you were just picking up useless info online and trying to distract me from the game. Which is just poor manners.

4. VICTOR CRUZ: RECEIVER EXTRAORDINAIRE

Victor Cruz of the New York Giants is fast, young and is known for some clutch plays throughout the last two seasons for the Giants. He's definitely going to have a few shots to make headlines Sunday, especially if the Patriots defenders give him any chance at all.

HOWEVER, if you follow time.com and "Ask- ALOUD- if the Patriots will double-team Cruz on third down," I would answer like any fan trying to enjoy themselves: "...We don't know, (insert name here) there's still players like Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham who are just as good. Are you going to watch this game or keeping asking questions you read online. And stop eating all of the dip"

5. WILFORK THE BEAST

Any defense fan will tell you that a strong defensive line will make a defense's day and ruin a quarterback. That said, Vince Wilfork has led the Patriot's defensive line on a rampage this year, making QB protection a must for all opponents.

HOWEVER, if you see Wilfork leading a five man rush against the Giants, pointing it out will be the tipping point. Not only will your friends be tired of your incessant nagging and desperate plea for praise, they'll send you on a dip run and escape to a sports bar while you're gone.

So, instead of degrading yourself by annoying your friends until the special day is all but ruined, follow Daniel's Easy Steps To A Successful Sunday Without Being A Bother:

1. If you don't know it, don't show it. If you aren't a huge fan, but want in on the fun, cheer when your team moves forward, swear when they don't. Steer clear of anything technical and join the crowd.

2. If you need to be the center of attention (via Time.com or other tools of annoyance), don't show up. If you don't know the game, don't like the game, and labor over talking points to fit in, you need to find something better to do with your time. No one wants to hear you spout facts as they're watching a game they love.

3. When all else fails, capitalism reigns! Super Bowl commercials are made for you. Got nothing to offer game-wise but don't want to be "that person?" Sit back and bear the game, and when the stupid commercials air, the floor is yours.

Good luck, Inscapednauts. Remember: it's an American tradition to get caught up in the festivities, but it's also a tradition to honor the sanctity of the game.

Don Cornelius' 'Soul Train' legacy

2012-02-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

The passing of famed “Soul Train” host/executive producer Don Cornelius of an alleged self-inflicted gunshot wound may overshadow his contributions to pop culture; however his influence on black culture and music should never be forgotten.

It’s impossible to overstate the impact Don Cornelius had on the music industry. Before MTV and You Tube, there was “Soul Train,” “the hippest trip in America.”

Everyone from The Jackson 5 to Marvin Gaye to Stevie Wonder to Aretha Franklin appeared on the show in the early years. It was the place for black artists to go to reach a national audience.

Cornelius began “Soul Train” in 1970 as a weekday afternoon dance party on Chicago TV. The show’s popularity attracted bigger sponsors which allowed it to become nationally syndicated.

For 35 years and 1,117 episodes “Soul Train” showed black audiences who the hottest acts were, what the latest fashion was and what the newest dance moves were.

For many black families the weekend didn’t start until “Soul Train” went off on Saturday mornings. Missing an episode meant being out of the loop and considered uncool.

Beyond giving a voice and face to black culture, “Soul Train” also bridged the gap between white pop artists and black audiences with early appearances from Elton John and David Bowie.

Changing music trends and declining ratings led to the show’s demise in the late ‘90s, however its influence lives on at every house party, prom and wedding that features a “Soul Train” line.

Cornelius’ influence lives on in networks like BET and Centric, and the inclusion and domination that black artists have on mainstream music.

In the words of the great Don Cornelius, “as always in parting we wish you love, peace and soul.”

And heeeeeeeeeeeeere's Dan

2012-01-31T18:43:00.000-08:00

As I stated a few posts ago, Stephanie and I are moving forward with the expansion of the show and site.

Part of that is bringing on some new personalities to help out providing content. Some people will be blogging, others videos and some will podcast.

And in looking forward, we decided to look back. Like Inscaped as a baby back.

Yes, this is the first ever episode. Great isn't it?

Dan Segraves has joined us (again) and will cover all sorts of entertainment-y subjects and also heading up a podcast called Great Ideas!

If you're curious, take a look at some of Dan's old posts here.

And Dan also likes to rock out, as seen here:

So officially, welcome aboard Segraves. You're in for it now.

Super Bowl commercial preview: Ferris is back!

2012-01-31T17:35:00.000-08:00

Tim and I are products of the 1980s. e love the music, TV and movies. One 80s classic that has stood the test of time is "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

Matthew Broderick is the quintessential high school smart ass who cuts class with his best friend and girlfriend, and ends up having the best day ever.

Though he's never confirmed it you know Broderick has been offered giant paychecks over the years for a sequel. Well now the wishes of 80s babies everywhere have come true in the form of a Honda Super Bowl commercial.

Super Bowl for dummies, Part 1: Cheaters never prosper

2012-01-30T16:22:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year, Inscapednauts!

SUPER BOWL season!

Time for guys everywhere to suddenly pick up the sport; time for people to gorge on salsa; time for (my favorite) ditzy girls everywhere to suddenly have a favorite team that turns out to usually be a popular and successful one! (I'd pay top dollar to see a hot girl rooting for some of the Cleveland Browns by name.)

I just heard half the audience fall asleep. Amazing.

Stick with me, because I'm going to give you a breakdown of why this Super Bowl is a big deal. Careful! School's in session.

So our teams this Sunday are the New York Giants (the Blue Ones) and the New England Patriots (the Silver Ones).

Ask any girl 12-30 who is more excited to see "The Vow" than watch a regular season game, and they'll regurgitate what they've heard: "Patriots are gonna win! WHOOO!"

But if you're an entertainment fan, you already know better. Because you've seen similar plots in movies.

Let's cast the Giants as the Rocky character. Balboa, not the flying squirrel. They're the wild card, the little guys. They never get the respect they deserve, but they hit hard and fight.

That would make the Patriots the Mark Zuckerburgs. They are smart and talented, but they also have a shady past. 4 years ago they had an undefeated season but were found to be videotaping other teams' practices. This year they hired the Broncos former head coach just before they played the Broncos. The Patriots were also defeated four years ago in the Super Bowl by the Giants as well.

To review: the Giants are scrappy, perpetual underdogs; the Patriots are overprivledged, perpetual cheaters.

So, if/when you catch the game this weekend, you can have a nice analogy to sum up why you want to see the Giants win.

If you happen to want to see the Patriots win, you came to the wrong place.

The Death Star strategy

2012-01-27T20:20:00.000-08:00

In less my memory deceives me, you’re not allowed to use Star Wars’ figurines in Battleship.

Trust me, I’ve tried.

“Star Destroyers aren’t a part of this game, idiot,” my brother used to taunt me when, in a last ditch effort, I’d deploy the Empire’s forces. I lost a lot of good TIE Fighters in the battle that ensued off the grid.

Well, it looks like Peter Berg and the Hoeber brothers (Erich and Jon) are siding with me, for better or worse.

You know these guys, right? Sure you do! Berg was the director who brought you gold like "The Kingdom," "The Rundown" and "The Hancock" (it just fits better if you say it that way). Remember seeing those movies and wondering if the director was shitfaced the whole time he was shooting? Well if his IMDB picture says anything, you might be onto something.

The Hoebers penned two... count em, TWO films in the last decade: "Whiteout" (more plot elements than snow) and "Red" (Cocoon with guns).

This trio has teamed up to bring you "Battleship!" Why? Because they can!

Liam Neeson is taking a break from being a God ("Clash/Wrath of the Titans" movies), a survivor ("The Grey") and a deadly family man ("Unknown", "Taken" and, by all accounts, his actual life) to head a cast including a "True Blood face", Brooklyn Decker (“who?” good question.) and Taylor Kitsch, the man who RUINED Gambit.

Oh, and Rihanna. She stills does music stuff right? Sure.

This isn’t the first movie loosely based off a game from the olden days (Mousehunt = Mouse Trap; "Real Steel" = Rock em Sock em Robots = FAIL) and it won’t be the last. Monopoly is working it’s way through the system as we speak.

Funny story: When I first saw the trailer for "The Darkest Hour", I thought it was Monopoly for a moment. Watch it and tell me it wouldn’t be intense.

But here’s Ridley Scott’s thoughts on a "Monopoly" movie:

“I created a comedic, lovable loser who lives in Manhattan and works at a real estate company and he’s not very good at his job but he’s great at playing Monopoly. And the world record for playing is 70 straight days – over 1,600 hours – and he wanted to try to convince his friends to help him break that world record. They think he is crazy. They kid him about this girl and they’re playing the game and there’s this big fight. And he’s holding a Chance card and after they’ve left he says, ‘Damn, I wanted to use that Chance card,’ and he throws it down. He falls asleep and then he wakes up in the morning and he’s holding the Chance card, and he thinks, ‘That’s odd.’”

He’s all groggy and he goes down to buy some coffee and he reaches into his pocket and all he has is Monopoly money. All this Monopoly money pours out. He’s confused and embarrassed and the girl reaches across the counter and says, ‘That’s OK.’ And she gives him change in Monopoly money. He walks outside and he’s in this very vibrant place, Monopoly City, and he’s just come out of a Chance Shop. As it goes on, he takes on the evil Parker Brothers in the game of Monopoly.”

Sound like a Requiem for a Dream Sequel to me. can we get Jared Leto for an amputated lead role?

So, let’s brainstorm, Inscapednauts. How about Candy Land?

Let’s take Kitsch and give him a brain aneurism. You’re welcome, nerds everywhere. As he hangs between life and death, he’s transported to a world of pure imagination (suck it, Gene Wilder!) where he meets that peppermint looking clown, played by Johnny Depp. The fat king dude? Ray Liotta. That’ll scare some kids. The sludgey dude? Obviously Seth Rogen. And the fairy on the box? Helen Mirren. Why? Fuck it, that’s why.

How about Life?

A socially inept kid creates a way to live a proxy life.. shit, that’s "Social Network." Sorry, David Fincher.

Remember a few years back when all movie-lovers wanted was original ideas? No more shitty sequels? No more remakes? I remember telling Editor extraordinaire Tim that there couldn’t be anything worse.

And it turns out, much like my Darth Vader offensive, I was dead wrong.

- Dan Segraves

Academy Award nominations, the 'Rotten' truth

2012-01-26T18:59:00.000-08:00

I'm an avid reader of various movie sites. I don't think a day goes by where I don't stop by Rotten Tomatoes or Box Office Mojo.

That just means I get a lot of somewhat useless information stuck in my head.

Like when the Academy Award nominations were announced, I realized something horrible.

When I saw that "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" was nominated for Best Picture, a red flag went up in my brain.

"Um, doesn't that film have a 'Rotten' rating on Rotten Tomatoes?"

Why, yes, Tim it does. A 47 percent (as of this post) to be exact.

That got my brain going into overdrive. Has a 'Rotten' reviewed movie, one with more negative reviews than positive, ever been nominated before?

And like a horrible, catchy dance song I couldn't get the thought out of my head.

So I did some digging. Right off the bat, it has to be known that since the site has only been around since 1999, my research could only take me so far.

I decided that I would go back 25 years. Look up each film nominated for Best Picture since 1987 and see how many 'Rotten' films there were.

You know the result? None.

Every film nominated in the past 25 years (save this year) have had a majority of positive reviews.

The funnier thing? The lowest rated film (besides this year) was 2008's "The Reader" with a barely positive score of 62 percent. Why is this so funny? Both films were directed by the same man: Stephen Daldry. Someone call Mulder because this is the start of a conspiracy.

Here are some other facts I found in my digging:

Highest rated Best Picture winner: "Schindler's List" and "The Hurt Locker" both with 97 percent.

Highest rated Best Picture nominee: "My Left Foot" and "The Crying Game" both with 100 percent.

Lowest rated Best Picture winner: "Forrest Gump" with 71 percent.

Best averaged year (highest rated films): 1993 with a 95 percent ("Schindler's List" won Best Picture.)

Lowest averaged year (lowest rated films): 2000 with 82 percent ("Gladiator" won Best Picture.)

In comedy, everyone’s a critic

2012-01-25T17:14:00.000-08:00

Editor's note: Tim here. I wanted to personally welcome back Dan Segraves to the world of Inscaped. Back in the day, Dan and I did a show called "Viewpoints On..." As part of the growth of Inscaped as a brand we'll be adding more contributors and editors along with new projects. More on that later. And here's Dan:

TJ Miller is an eccentric stand up comic and, as he puts it, “the most famous talking bear movie actor in history.” He was tragically a part of the 3-D "Yogi Bear" movie recently. Comedy lore tells that he rented a live bear for his audition for the movie, that he has since confirmed.

Dane Cook is the darling of college frat boys and their brain dead girlfriends everywhere. He has made a career out of being seedy and pretentious. He’s also made a name for himself by having a league of “bros” behind him so that when makes offenses (such as stealing material or bombing), they will help him get sympathy.

Miller was a part of a comedy show at the Los Angeles Laugh Factory Jan. 18. Unknown to anyone, however, Cook dropped in to do some work.

The issue of the night began when Cook took the stage. From several recounts, Cook berated the crowd to a ridiculous extent. "On the You Made It Weird" podcast, Miller mentioned that Cook made fun of a balding man, said women will do anything for him because he is Dane Cook, talked about “fucking whores” to get out anger towards his girlfriend and told a women to stop texting because “Dane Cook’s on stage."

For non-comedy fans, this is quite common, especially when you’re at a club that someone considers a “home base” as Cook considers the Laugh Factory. comedians are always that they could get “bumped,” and learn to accept it early on. Miller knows this. Miller did, however, take offense to Cook ruining a crowd that paid to be entertained, not insulted.

Word is that Miller did a good job of cleaning up Cook’s mess. Remember Seth Rogen’s character in "Funny People" after Adam Sandler’s character had a dark, downing set? Imagine that.

This wouldn’t be the first time a comedian insulted a crowd, either. Don Rickles and Andrew Dice Clay made careers off of material like Cook performed. Today, Jeff Ross is known as “The Roastmaster” and Daniel Tosh insults the public on a large level on "Tosh.0" on Comedy Central.

Miller’s argument was more of a professional one than being bumped or Cook doing insult comedy. The crowd paid to see TJ and other “alternative” comedians do your usual comedy. They didn’t pay or ask to see Cook degrade them. If Cook wanted to drop in, he could’ve had the courtesy to the up-and-coming comedians to NOT make the audience feel like shit.

Cook’s reaction to this is that Miller is a “mutant and a dummy,” as he told Joe Rogan on The Joe Rogan Podcast. Cook thinks that Miller is a “comedy cop” who “let TMZ in on me constructing.”

What’s worse is that Cook’s reaction to Miller completely missed the real points. Cook decided that Miller was mad for being bumped (again, something that everyone understands happens). Instead, Cook said that Miller should’ve have relaxed and “learned something,” a staple of pompous asshole narcissism.

To add to Cook’s miscomprehension and egotistical reaction, comedian Ari Scheffler eloquently called Miller’s complaint a gay slur (won't repeat it here). Classy.

Rogan, Scheffler and Cook agreed on the podcast that Miller was really upset about being bumped, ignoring his actual argument for common courtesy. It would also be the reason that guys like Cook and Rogan had leveled out as has-beens and sport commentators (Dennis Miller, anyone?) and Louis CK and Miller are today and tomorrow’s comedy heavy hitters.

Just like his frat boy fans and his failed comedy friends, Cook is primed to learn that when you get out of your self-adulating haze, reality can be a real bitch.

Hear both comedians sides in the archives of “You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes” and “The Joe Rogan Podcast.”

A Q&A with 'Spartacus' boss Steven S. DeKnight

2012-01-25T12:41:00.000-08:00

With the premiere of "Spartacus: Vengeance" Jan. 27 at 10 p.m. on Starz, creator/executive producer/writer and all around fun guy Steven S. DeKnight had a conference call with reporters to talk about all things "Spartacus."

So…no character is safe at any time…how do you go about deciding which of the characters should go and when, and is there any character that you wish you still had for this upcoming season?

Yes, there's always a question. On this show characters literally get the ax. I think ultimately for me it comes from how is the story best served by a character death. I don't ever want somebody to just die. It needs to have ramifications either emotionally or towards the plot. So that's always the number one driving force of who do I kill.

And do I miss people? I don't regret killing anyone, but of course John Hannah, number one. His presence was just so fantastic on the show and he was such a joy to work with and write for. He's definitely - he had to go, but that was a painful one.

Liam...captures the essence of what Andy started (as Spartacus) but makes it his own.

What drew us to Liam is that we didn't want to try to duplicate (Andy). I mean, that will never happen. He was such a singular, amazing talent. But we wanted to find somebody that had the same base qualities of compassion. I told all the actors when they auditioned that even though Spartacus may fly into a rage now and then, he never comes from a place of anger, it's always from a place of a wounded heart. And we really felt like Liam captured that essence.

Beyond the vengeance, which of course is the primary thing, what kind of a journey are Spartacus and the other characters on this season?

Well with Spartacus this was always planned to be the season where he goes from a man really searching for his personal redemption in the death of his wife and his feelings of responsibility for that, that's why he wants to exact the vengeance, and transitioning him into a true leader. And it's a very, very bumpy ride for him to go from someone that we see in Season 1 who he's a good man, but he is much more concerned about himself and his wife. Everybody else is secondary. This is where he starts to move into caring more about the group and putting their needs above his own eventually.

I love to take people on journeys. Crixus definitely goes on a journey. Even characters like Agron, which was one of the two brothers in Season 1 that we didn't get to know that well, has a major story. Everybody grows up in this season.

Have you had any criticisms of the show and have or would you adjust anything based on negative feedback?

Yes, of course. I think the show just welcomes criticism. Especially when we first started out, if everybody remembers back that far, this show was universally hated. We got off to a rocky start. Rob Tapert, my incredible producing partner, and I always say that first episode was by far our weakest one where we were trying to figure out the show and it took a while to get going.

So we took a lot of criticism for too much sex, too much violence, everybody hated the language, not the cursing but the actual language of the show. It just took a while for everybody to warm up to it. Early on I got a lot of criticism about how people speak, which I steadfastly refused to change.

One of the other things that I'm still to this day getting comments about is, and I put this in air quotes, “all the gay shit” in my show. People asking me to tone it down, which I always say no. I mean, as far as I'm concerned it's barely in there to start with. And it was part and parcel of this world and it's part and parcel of our world now. So I just - yes, I ignore that. If people want to stop watching the show because two guys kiss, well, I shrug my shoulders. You know, that that will always be in there.

Every now and then somebody will say something about oh it's too violent, oh there's too much sex, but that's the show it is. So basically I guess my answer is sure we get criticism, but, you know, thankfully STARZ is very supportive and we get to tell the story we want to tell.

Prior to coming back for another season professional athletes have to attend training camp to get in shape. Is there something similar that the actors must go through to appear on “Spartacus?”

Yes. We have a boot camp every year that it's for new people coming in and our returning cast to bone up on their fighting skills and to help them get back into tip-top shape. I think we're one of the few shows that actually - the men have it rougher than the women because the men are often practically naked all the time with just a little bit of strategic covering. So they have to watch what they eat and train like crazy for the entire shoot of the show, which is incredibly difficult. But I think the evidence is up on the screen that they literally work their asses off.

Is there a character that you wish you could squeeze in more, but you just haven't been able to yet?

Yes…we have so much story we try to put into each episode that some characters we don't get to pay enough to. We felt that way Season 1 with Oenomaus. We felt like there was so much going on with Spartacus and his journey and Batiatus that he got a little bit of short shrift. So we wanted to do more with him in “Gods of the Arena” and we wanted to do more with him in this season, which is really nice to do.

We have so many characters, it's a bit of a juggling act because we don't want to short change anyone. But yes, I'd say Oenomaus was the one that we felt was underutilized at first and we tried to bring him more to the forefront.

Writers always say that as they develop a series they pick up things from the actors and incorporate them into the way they deal with the characters and stuff. Are there any changes or different approaches now that you've switched from Andy to Liam?

Actually no. We had a discussion before we started writing this season of should we tailor the show for Liam. My feeling and Rob and STARZ, we all agreed, was that no, what we should do is write Spartacus as Spartacus and Liam will bring what he brings to it and it will be a different take, but what he says - what Spartacus says and what he does will still be consistent with the Spartacus that we know.

You've got awesome stunt coordinators…how much do you write into the script, say the action and the sex, and how much do you leave it to the director and the stunt coordinators?

Al Poppleton (stunt supervisor) is just phenomenal. The thing that he does for us, it would not be Spartacus without him. On the page, it depends on what we're describing. Generally if it's a big battle, we'll give the high points and let them work it out. If it's a more intimate one-on-one battle, we'll be more detailed because we'll want the specific moment. I always try to build a fight with specific emotional moments in it. And then Al and his team will fill in the detail, expand on it, they'll suggest things. So it's kind of 50/50.

With the sex scenes, again, if there's a specific emotion we're looking for, we'll get into a little more detail. Otherwise, we tend to just describe what kind of lovemaking is going on. The words that keep popping up are tender, gentle, vigorous. Vigorous pops up quite a bit as you can imagine. So that's usually a little less detailed. And again, we're more concerned on the writing side with conveying the emotional beats of what's going on in that situation and we leave the actual technical what's touching what, who's kissing where to the director and the actors.

“Spartacus: Vengeance,” how does that compare to some of the earlier work that you've done on, “Angel,” “Dollhouse,” “Smallville,” etc.? Is it easier or is it more difficult? It's a different type of show than those, but what are some of the differences between your previous work and the work you're doing now with “Spartacus?”

First and foremost, I always credit Joss Whedon for really starting my career. I was working on “Undressed” when he hired me on to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and then I went to “Angel” where he gave me a chance to direct and then I linked up with him again on “Dollhouse.” Words can't describe how much I've learned from the man.

The biggest difference with this show for me is that all my other work was on broadcast networks and this is premium cable. So Al Gough, my old boss from “Smallville” who watches this show, I bumped into him and he chuckled and he said when he watched “Spartacus,” he calls it DeKnight unleashed.

And that's exactly how I felt when I got this opportunity that I didn't have to deal with standards and practices anymore. I didn't have to water things down, I could go to places, not just sexually, not just with the violence, but good characters could do bad things, which is often very difficult to get the network to sign off on. And bad characters could do good things. I got to work in a very gray world, which I think is where the most interesting drama is.

And it's also been the hardest thing I've ever done. Because I had the bright idea of creating a very different kind of language and the way people speak, which is not natural and it doesn't come naturally to write it. So it takes a lot longer to write and it's a bit more of a pain in the ass, but the result I think was very successful in conveying the sense of a different time in history.

Do you consult with historians to help keep the show authentic?

Yes. I have two fantastic historical consultants, Aaron Irvin and Jeffrey Stevens. We brought them on from the start. And they're absolutely instrumental. I bring them into the room every now and then; they get all the outlines, all the scripts. They give us copious notes.

We always say on “Spartacus” that we want to be respectful to history, but our first goal is to be entertaining to the audience. So sometimes we do have to bend historical facts and shift things around. But we always try to be very respectful and they are just two fantastic guys that have really contributed a lot to the show.

One of the things I really like about the show is as masculine as it is, the female characters also get equal time to tell their stories…tell us what Ilithyia, Lucretia, Mira, what their stories will bring in this upcoming season?

Without giving anything away, Ilithyia and Lucretia, which is two of my favorite characters to write especially when they're with each other, they continue their frenemy dance in a very convoluted, unexpected way. What happens between those two is not what you would think is actually going to happen, especially based on where we left them at the end of Season 1. They are in fine form totally. They really continue that storyline in an amazing kind of way.

Mira is as we left her in Season 1, she really responded to Spartacus and was falling in love with Spartacus and Spartacus had compassion towards her, but I wouldn't call it love. Where we move with them, they have moved into a quasi-relationship, but it's a relationship that's very bumpy and rocky and may or may not work out in the end.

Just based on the first few episodes of the series or rather the season, it seems like Ashur is setting up his next few moves. Talk a little bit about his motivations as far as vengeance is concerned. Has he put getting payback against certain people ahead of pushing himself further up the ranks or what his priorities are as a character?

What I love about Ashur and the way Nick Tarabay really brings him to life is that Ashur is a guy who ultimately doesn't really think he's the bad guy. He's just a guy trying to navigate the choppy waters of life. He comes from a place, and we explored this in Season 1 and in “Gods of the Arena,” of deep insecurity where he feels like he is disrespected and not treated as well as he should be. Those deep seated feelings of insecurity are what really drives him to get to the top.

In this season he's out for vengeance against the rebels because he was just - he was being promoted to being in the Ludus with Batiatus, being Batiatus' right-hand man, he had finally been elevated and then Spartacus literally topples him off his perch and ruins everything for him. So he's got an ax to grind there. And he also tries to ingratiate himself back in with the Romans.

You also set it up in “Gods of the Arena” that Ashur would have a bone to pick kind of literally with Crixus. Is that something that we can expect to be addressed?

Oh yes, he hates Crixus. Absolutely hates Crixus. That's something we played and set up in Season 1 and referenced - one of the things that I love about long form television is that we reference that Crixus crippled Ashur in a fight and then we saw that at the end of “Gods of the Arena.” So he has always had it out for Crixus to get his revenge.

Where did you decide how they speak? Is it based on any kind of Latin or did you just kind of come up with the way that they talk to each other?

For me, I studied as a playwright so I was deeply steeped in Shakespeare, which is really my main influence in the dialogue. Not to say that it's Shakespearean. I think this is - I call this Shakespeare extra, extra light. I always say the language is a cross between Shakespeare and Robert E. Howard who wrote all the Conan stories. So it's kind of a mash up between those two.

It's absolutely not historically accurate. When people bring that up to me about, well, they didn't speak this way in Latin, I always point out, well, in Shakespearean times they didn't speak in iambic pentameter, but that's an affectation to give it a style, which is exactly what we wanted to do on this show. And again…about five scripts in after we had done this I realized holy shit, I got to keep writing this way for the rest of the series, which is extremely challenging.

Can you talk about the production treatments and visual effects that go into each episode because it's such a beautifully filmed and unique series?

Yes, it's a massive amount of work. This show because of the time period we're using, every single thing on the show we have to make. Everything down to the chairs, the furniture, the jewelry, everything is handmade. So it's an extremely time consuming process.

A lot of people have asked me, well, how much of it is green screen, our green screen is basically the background, the backdrops. All of the sets you see, they're real. We built the Ludus, we built the training square, all we use - the only use of CGI is in the backgrounds with the sky and the landscape beyond our sets. So it takes an amazing amount of work and our team in New Zealand just does an incredible, incredible job. And we shoot everything digitally and then we run it through a post process to get the colors right and to give it that really rich, rich look.

Where is Lucretia's story leading her now that she doesn't have a husband anymore and now that she doesn't have the Ludus or any kind of work to support herself?

She's in a bad state. As seen in the trailer, she's not doing too well when we first find her. Which is not surprising; she's very lucky to be alive. A lot of people have asked, well, last we saw her she got stabbed in the stomach and sure she was twitching at the very end of Season 1, but how is it possible she survived. We do explain how she survived. It's a few episodes in and then we tell you what happened.

For her, she is a shattered woman. And this season is about her putting the pieces of her life back together and trying to move forward. And along with moving forward, much like everyone else this season, she does have some scores to settle. She's going to have to be incredibly crafty and smart about her maneuvering because now she has absolutely no position whatsoever. She's living off the kindness of strangers at this point.

The second season had already been written when you decided to make “Gods of Arena.” So did you have to rewrite the second season because of the prequel? And if so, how far did it interfere in this new season?

We actually were already working on Season 2. We had written the first couple of episodes and we had a layout for the entire season when unfortunately we found out that (Andy) was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, so we stopped working on that and hatched the plan to do “Gods of the Arena” to give him a chance to recover. We were finishing up “Gods of the Arena” when unfortunately we found out that his cancer had returned and he had to permanently step down from the role.

So at that point, after having done “Gods of the Arena,” yes, we went back and we retooled the first several episodes and made adjustments. And also because we had had time off from the season, when we came back we saw some things we wanted to change story-wise. For example, episode 2 used to be episode 3. There was a different episode 2 that once we looked at it, we decided, yes, it's not really moving the story along and we had an entire script for it, so we threw that script out, took some of the elements, married it with episode 3 and then moved on from there. But that was really the biggest change that episode 2 was a completely different story.

Why “Spartacus?” What made you go into this kind of series?

The concept was sold to STARZ before I had heard about it. Rob Tapert, Josh Donen, and Sam Raimi sold the idea to STARZ of doing “Spartacus” in a “300” style. Because we are all big fans of Zack Snyder's work on “300” and how he technically pushed the art of filmmaking and they really wanted to see if they could do that on a television show.

So the concept was sold to STARZ and then STARZ was looking for a writer to come in and spearhead the project. I was working on “Dollhouse” at the time when I got the call from my agent that Sam Raimi and STARZ wanted to do a gladiator series and that's all I knew. I didn't know it was “Spartacus” when I went in.

I'm a big fan of period piece movies, especially the sword and sandals epics, but I'm the first to admit history was not my strong point and the only thing I knew about Roman history was Stanley Kubrick's “Spartacus.” So I had a lot of reading and catching up to do when I signed on.

The problem about history is that everyone knows how the story is going to end or everyone thinks they know. Are you already 100 percent certain that you'll follow the historical facts or if there is any chance of changing things and not following the historical facts?

I will follow the historical facts. Entertainment is our job on “Spartacus,” so we will have to take characters, take two or three characters, form them into one character, shuffle some events around to make the story work, not only for production reasons, but just for clarity. But yes, we will basically follow historical facts. In reference to how Spartacus dies, most people think he was nailed to the cross like we see in Stanley Kubrick's movie. That's not actually what happened.

One of the great things about the story of Spartacus is that there's only fragments left in history that gives bits and pieces. Most of those talk about who won this battle, who won that battle, so there's not a lot of…emotional detail in it. So we are going to basically follow history, but the audience will still be, I think, surprised by how we wrap up the story.

Whenever anybody says to me, you know, well, everybody knows how the story ends, why should they watch, I always reply everybody knew that the Titanic sunk and yet the movie made a billion dollars. People obviously want to be along for the ride, even if they know the eventual outcome. The trick is to keep it exciting all the way up to the end and then make that ending powerful and emotional and I think people will show up.

You've mentioned Robert E. Howard as an influence and inspiration for…the show. What do you like about writing genre fiction and do you feel some people take the show less seriously because it's genre?

Oh, absolutely people take it less seriously. There have been some great, great genre shows on the air that got no love from the Academy. “Battlestar Galactica” comes to mind, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” comes to mind.

We're kind of the redheaded stepchild. I think one of the most amazing accomplishments of J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof and “Lost” was winning that Emmy for a genre show. I mean, it's an incredible accomplishment.

What I love about it is that it really opens up the possibilities of what you can do. It's a little more restrictive on “Spartacus” since despite all of its trappings, it's not a fantasy show. We can't bring in magic, there are no monsters, everything has to have a real world logic to it. A bigger pulpy logic, but definitely a real world logic to it. It was much easier on “Buffy” when we needed to solve a problem and somebody had a mystical doodad that could help us out. That's always a lot easier.

What I also love about genre is just the way you can really heighten emotions and use the situations as metaphors and just make it as powerful and emotional as possible.

What do you feel like the evolution of the series has been up to this point? You talked a bit about the rocky start at the beginning of the series and finding a vision for it. What do you feel like that is now?

When we first started off this was Rob Tapert and Josh Donen and Sam Raimi and I, this was our first foray into premium cable. And suddenly the shackles were off and I can't speak for my partners, but I think I stripped down naked and ran a little crazy through the streets in the first couple of episodes before I found the right tone.

If you look at that first episode there were moments that you see the glimmer of what the show will become, but we were trying to really find ourselves in the story, the language, the visual, the directing, the acting, everything was trying to find an equilibrium, which took us a few episodes to get to.

Once we found that, we started to really find the right element of the show that each episode needed. And we knew we needed a certain amount of action. We knew that emotions really needed to drive the story. It had to be emotionally based, no matter what was going on, no matter what - whether it's an orgy that's happening, if there's an orgy going on, it can't be about the orgy. It's got to be about who wants what from whom and what's the maneuvering and what's the emotional stake.

And it’s the same thing with a fight. When Crixus and Spartacus fight Theokoles in the arena in the middle of Season 2, it couldn't just be about a fight. What it was really about were these two men trying to find a common ground and come together.

So that's really how it developed is just episodes now concentrating on what are the emotional stakes. It's very easy in a show like this to get lost in all the shiny objects that are around you all the time. And I do consider the sex and the violence are the shiny objects. Just finding a balance between that kind of pulpy entertainment and some true human emotion.

Your world is beautifully realized as sets both digital and physical, the costumes, everything works great together. After two seasons does the research and actualization of the world become easier or is challenging your designers an active concern as you develop scripts and locations for the show? Which of those visual accomplishments are you most proud of?

It becomes easier, it never becomes easy. Much like the writing, once we locked down how to do it, it doesn’t become as frustratingly impossible. It's still difficult, but, at least we have a handle on it. And it's the same thing for the physical aspects of our show. We have just such great people. Iain Aitken (production designer) and Barbara Darragh (costume designer), who does our costuming, which is just gorgeous. They put so much effort into it.

When you're on the set for “Spartacus,” you know, yes, there's a green screen background and you're not outside, but when you're on a set, I'm thinking particularly about Batiatus' Ludus, you just can't imagine the detail that is actually into this set. It's like stepping back in time. It looks so real when you're actually on it.

It's the same thing with the costuming. The costuming is just absolutely gorgeous. And yes, you know, not 100 percent is historically accurate. We made that decision early on that we needed the costuming to have an elegance and a beauty to it, a bit of an enhancement of a more simple Roman style.

And the visual effects too. If you look at - from the first episode in Season 1 to the last episode in Season 1, you can really see how we started off we wanted to be very much a graphic novel and we all felt we went a little bit too far in that first episode, it was a little too over the top, so we started to dial back and refine the visual effects.

It's hard to say what I'm most proud of in these areas. Every time I watch an episode, I just marvel at the sets and the costumes and the lighting, the cinematography, the visual effects. It's just - it's amazing that so many different disciplines have come together to make this such a visually stunning show.

Do you think you're now too spoiled to go back to broadcast TV at any point?

Quite possibly. I will never say never, but this often comes up in the writers' room where I say oh boy, I don't know if I could - one of the most daunting things about broadcast networks is I don't know if I could do 22 episodes a year now.

One of the great things about only doing 10 to 13 episodes in a season is that you really get to handcraft each episode. When you do 22, there's usually about five episodes that you just don't have time to fix and you just got to throw your arms up and say, well, that one didn't work, we got to move on to the next one. Which thankfully in premium cable, you just have more time. You know, I think I could definitely put up with the constraints of not being able to curse or show nudity or be overly violent, that I think I could do, but for me it's 22 episodes a year that would be difficult.

Big fan of Lucy Lawless since “Xena” days…how has her insanity presented any new avenues or challenges in writing?

The tricky part is you can't have a character be bat shit crazy for the entire season like that. That's a shtick that gets old fast. So it was transitioning her into lucidity where she starts off obviously very, very, very damaged and broken and watching how she puts the pieces back together and tries to reclaim her life is really the juicy part of the storyline. And Lucy of course does it so brilliantly. I've been a big fan of hers, too, since the “Xena” days and am still thrilled and impossibly shocked that she's one of the stars of our show.

When the season begins, we see that Crixus is on the search of Naevia. Is this something that's going to take place throughout the whole series or will it be resolved early on?

There will be a resolution. Not exactly early on, but it will resolve itself. That's all I can say.

You signed a two-year overall deal with STARZ, I was curious if that was only pertaining to “Spartacus” or if you were putting together some new projects?

Yes, no, it doesn’t just pertain to “Spartacus.” I'm actually at the moment writing a new project for STARZ that it's super extra crazy top secret that I can't even give you a title. But there is something new in the works. Now it's in the very, very early stages. It has not been green lit. I've been sent to a pilot script, but there's many, many, many hoops to jump through and stages to pass before it'll get green lit and announced as a show. But all I can say is it's big and very, very exciting.

Hopefully that won't affect anything that's going on with “Spartacus” in the future?

I don't think it would. No.

Oscar nominations: First impressions

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

So the nominations are out for the 84th Academy Awards, and while most of the names were expected, congrats to George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Viola Davis and Meryl Streep; there were a few surprises.

Best Picture: "The Artist," "The Descendants," "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," "The Help," "Hugo," "Moneyball," "Midnight in Paris," "The Tree of Life" and "War Horse."

This year the Academy narrowed the field to nine films, with two of them coming as big surprises. Reviews for "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" have been mixed and its been all but ignored during award season, so this nod really came out of left field. "The Tree of Life" has been critically acclaimed, but people love it or hate it and it hasn't received much award attention so far, making its nomination seem like more of a gift to Terrence Malick.

Best Actor: Demian Bechir, Jean DuJardin, Gary Oldman, Clooney and Pitt.

Though the absence of DiCaprio is a little surprising, he had been losing steam just as Oldman was gaining traction. The real surprise here is Bechir for "A Better Life." He took the spot that would have went to Michael Fassbender or Ryan Gosling.

Best Actress: Glenn Close, Rooney Mara, Viola Davis, Michelle Williams and Streep.

Other than Mara taking what many thought would be Tilda Swinton's spot, this category went according to expectations.

Best Supporting Actor: Kenneth Branagh, Jonah Hill, Christopher Plummer, Max Von Sydow and Nick Nolte.

Jonah Hill, really?

Best Supporting Actress: Berenice Bejo, Jessica Chastain, Melissa McCarthy, Janet McTeer and Octavia Spencer.

Bejo could be the spoiler for Spencer, if "The Artist" enjoys a wave of wins Oscar night. Also the Academy has a history of surprising wins for foreign actresses.

Best Animated Feature: "A Cat in Paris," "Chico & Rita," "Kung Fu Panda 2," "Puss in Boots," "Rango."

While it's a little sad to see no Disney or Pixar films nominated, this wasn't their year. It's jaw-dropping to see the absence of "The Adventures of Tintin" which won the Golden Globe and has the Steven Spielberg/Peter Jackson pedigree. Seriously, what are those first two?

Best Visual Effects: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2," "Hugo," "Real Steel," "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" and "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."

This is the last chance to honor the full achievements of the "Harry Potter" franchise so the Academy may take that into consideration. "Transformers" really? Did they not see those JFK scenes.

Best Original Song: "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets," "Real in Rio" from "Rio."

Obviously we're excited for "The Muppets" to be nominated, though "Pictures in My Head" is a better song. Also, even with stricter rules there had to be more than two eligible songs. At least there's no reason for the two nominated songs to not be performed on the show.

Stay with Inscaped as we continue to cover all things Oscar leading up to the show on Feb. 26 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC.

Etta James' top five classics

2012-01-20T10:59:00.000-08:00

Legendary blues singer Etta James may be most well known for the wedding staple "At Last," but her list of hits included many other classics that must be celebrated as James is remembered.

1. "I'd Rather Go Blind" - In two and a half minutes James' heart-wrenching vocals tell the story of everyone who has ever had a broken heart.

2. "At Last" - A timeless expression of true love that will be James' lasting legacy.

3. "I Just Want to Make Love to You." - A sexy, passionate plea that skips flowery statements of love and gets right to the point. Etta's sexiness was very ahead of its time.

4. "All I Could Do Was Cry" - Once again James captures every emotion of a break up in one song cementing her status as the queen of the broken-hearted ballad.

5. "Let's Burn Down the Cornfield" - This might be the sexiest song ever recorded. Women weren't supposed to sing the suggestive lyrics that James croons in this version of the longing plea where she tells her man where to wait and what she wants him to do to her.

For fans of Adele, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson and Amy Winehouse wondering who Etta James was and why she's so important to music history, these songs are the starting point for their Etta James playlists.

The lasting legacy of Etta James

2012-01-20T08:50:00.000-08:00

The music world has suffered a tremendous loss with the passing of Etta James. The R&B/blues singer died on Jan. 20 at the age of 73 after a long battle with leukemia and Alzheimer's.

Though her signature song will always be "At Last," James' career encompasses so much more than the classic love song.

She began her career at 14 years old, touring with girl group the Peaches, however she really gained notoriety when she joined Chess records and released the hits "If I Can't Have You" and "All I Could Do was Cry."

Her run with Chess in the early '60s gave James many of her biggest hits and most successful songs including "I Just Want to Make Love to You," "Something's Got A Hold On Me," "A Sunday Kind of Love" and of course "At Last."

Unfortunately, her success also led James to a drug and alcohol addiction that would she battle her entire life. Her struggles with heroin led to a long string of legal problems that saw her spend several stints in rehab. She finally got clean at the age of 50 after she spent time at the Betty Ford Center.

Despite her issues with addiction, her talent could never be denied as she made several comebacks and continued to influence artists like Beyonce, who played her in the 2008 film "Cadillac Records."

James, never one to mince words, made no secret of the fact that she didn't care for Beyonce's performance in the film, which took poetic license with the story of the label's founding, and of the fact that Beyonce was chosen to sing "At Last" at President Obama's inauguration.

While her career was filled with controversy, one only needs to look as far as the current pop charts for the full scope of James legacy. Her timeless style can be found in the resurgence of soul and success of artists like Amy Winehouse and Adele whose music is reminiscent of James' early work.

Her final album "The Dreamer" was released in November 2011. It features a raw stripped down version of the singer's classic blues voice. Her cover of "Misty Blue" has a heartbreaking finality to it that seems all too relevant now.

No doubt many stations will be playing "At Last" in tribute to the legend but all the passion, heartache and love of her music can really be found in "Misty Blue."

Tale of two movies (turned into TV shows)

2012-01-19T10:05:00.000-08:00

I should have know I was in trouble when we did our TV fantasy draft.

Thinking clearly wasn't really a top priority, if you look at my list. The only shows I was really excited for were "The River" and "Awake" (which, who knows when that's starting.)

All the other shows are "I guess I'll watch that." And look what happens...

Two new television series based off successful movies.

First up is the new animated Fox series "Napoleon Dynamite." I think what made the movie popular was there was nothing like it at the time. It was weird, but not too weird and a lovable level of clever.

The TV show tries to catch lightning in a bottle by using everyone from the movie. While that does create a nice consistency, other issues prevented me from enjoying it.

Maybe the problem is that the movie was one thing, a one and done type thing, but more of it just doesn't work. Heck, I love root beer floats, but too much of it and I get sick of it.

Like a lot of new comedies this season, I just didn't find it funny. There was one moment in the pilot that made me smile: parts of the episode take place at a kid's pizza place and there is a robot band performing just like at Chuckie Cheese's when I was a kid. They got details right that made me smirk and think good thoughts.

But then the main plot of the show, an acne skin cream that turns you into a rage monster, brought me back to reality. While cute at points, it's beyond stupid at others.

The ratings were pretty good, so maybe I'm wrong.

On the other side is the new NBC drama "The Firm."

Based on the John Grisham novel, which then was turned into a 1993 Tom Cruise movie.

Yes, a book turned into a movie turned into a television show. Way to keep it original NBC.

The show stars Josh Lucas as Mitch McDeere, who is coming out of 10 years of Witness Protection after the events of the film.

You see, Tom Cruise might have taken down the firm and made a deal with the mob, but the US government finds a way to take down the mob using the information he provided. Hence, Witness Protection.

But, McDeere is the most unlucky man on the planet because not only is the mob after him again, but he AGAIN joined an evil firm.

Instead of an evil Gene Hackman to deal with, this McDeere has an evil, yet sexy, Tricia Helfer ("Battlestar Galactica") to worry about.

And here's my major problem with the show: flashbacks.

Listen, er look, "Lost" was one thing, but I'm not getting into a bunch of shows that do the whole flashback thing EVERY episode.

Part of each episode follows the present day where McDeere is running for his life. Then a majority of the episode is the past where he does a case of the week. Oddly enough the first two episodes were young men murdering people.

Other than the flashback issue there isn't much else wrong with the show. The acting is great. Lucas does a great job, in fact he does such a good job you're not even thinking about Tom Cruise. The first episode got a tad boring halfway in, but saved itself with a good ending.

I really don't know if I can, or want to, invest the time to watch this each week. Especially when "Alcatraz" (review coming soon) does the flashback thing better.

Pass and, maybe, pass.

Top five reasons to get into 'Downton Abbey'

2012-01-18T10:12:00.000-08:00

With the start of season two "Downton Abbey" mania is sweeping the country. While it may seem like its too late to get seriously invested in the exquisite British period drama, it's not. Season one is available on Netflix and season two is only two episodes in.

With that in mind, these are the top five reason why "Downton Abbey" should become required viewing.

1. Dowager Countess Violet Grantham - Dame Maggie Smith has played many notable roles and is perhaps best recognized as Hogwarts Professor McGonagall. However, as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham she steals every scene she's in, with her best lines often quoted the next day. These laugh out loud moments are one of the main reasons for the show's increasing popularity as fans tune in just to see what she will say and do next.

2. The ensemble cast - With a cast as large and distinguished as "Downton Abbey's" it would be easy for characters to become lost in the shuffle. However, the series somehow manages to give everyone an equal time to shine. The result is that the heartache of cook Mrs. Patmore is given just as much time as the adventures of Lady Edith. The ensemble storytelling keeps all the plots fresh and makes the series insanely addictive.

3. Mary and Matthew - Lady Mary and Crawley heir Matthew are perhaps the most star-crossed lovers since Romeo and Juliet. Their story began with dislike but quickly developed into love. However, Mary's one indiscretion kept her from committing to Matthew and now he has moved on with new fiancee Lavinia. The real kicker is that Lavinia is a perfectly sweet and supportive girl who is easy to like, making it the most polite love triangle ever.

The off the charts chemistry between Michelle Dockery and Dan Stevens jumps off the screen whether they are sharing an emotional goodbye or a whispered dinner conversation. When they are together they must be watched.

4. The servants - If "Downton Abbey" only followed the upstairs lords and ladies it would still be good, but the fact that all the downstairs drama is just as interesting makes it great. The doomed romance of Anna and Mr. Bates, the endless scheming of Thomas and O'Brien, the young rebel Branson's yearn for more and Mr. Carson's determination to rise above war and its repercussions are what make Downton Abbey feel real.

5. Historical context - The series began with the sinking of the Titanic, season one dropped hints about the coming war and season two unfolds against the backdrop of WWI. The Grantham's and their servants are often tasked with mastering new technology like telephones, driving and the ever changing fashions of the times. This attention to detail adds to the show's authenticity and credibility, while helping viewers feel a stronger connection to the stories the series tells.

"Downton Abbey" is currently airing on PBS as apart of "Masterpiece Classic." Check local listings.

'Justified' back with an edge

2012-01-18T08:31:00.000-08:00

It's one of the hardest things in the world for a TV show to follow up a critically acclaimed successful season.

Season two of the FX action drama "Justified" was a masterclass in storytelling and acting, leading to increases in viewers and award recognition.

However, last night all that was left behind as "Justified" began season three, right where season two left off with Raylan shot after bringing down the Bennett clan.

Following a trip to the hospital to assure fans that Raylan was indeed ok, the action jumped ahead three weeks with him still recovering and on light desk duty. He's not quite the sharp shooter viewers have come to rely on and he pays less attention to details, which gets him in trouble later in the episode, but as evidenced in his showdown with Boyd, he's still Raylan.

"Justified" is at its best when Timothy Olyphant's Raylan and Walton Goggins Boys are going at it, which happened before the opening credits in last night's "The Gunfighter." There is this on again-off again love/hate relationship between the two that has a familial dynamic that is always compelling to watch.

They're like relatives who fight to the death all the time, but the minute somebody else gets involved they've got each other's backs.

In the absence of the dearly departed (and sorely missed) Mags Bennett, season three's big bad is Detroit gangster Robert Quarles played by the excellent Neal McDonough. Quarles is a sharp dresser whose deadly nature is obscured by his appearance.

However, his business with the dixie mafia immediately lets everyone know he's just as ruthless as Mags, plus with no connection to Harlan he is a complete wildcard.

McDonough is often the tortured hero, so it was a nice change to see him go all out as the villain.

"Dexter's" Desmond Harrington also showed up as fugitive killer yet very stylish Fletcher "Ice Pick" Nix. He enjoys torturing his victims by engaging them in a gun draw that he will inevitably win thanks to his trusty ice pick.

This technique of course backfired when he tried it on Raylan and led to him being shot. However, executive producer Graham Yost has already said that Nix is not dead and he hopes to bring Harrington back later in the season.

Meanwhile Boyd's crew of Arlo, Devil and Ava are trying to figure out what to do with the Bennett's stolen marijuana. Once Boyd tells Ava to burn it, Devil doesn't want to take orders from a woman, which leads to the best moment of the night. Ava tells Devil her fried chicken is to die for then changes his mind via frying pan.

The Ava/Boyd relationship is perhaps the most interesting and underrated one on the whole series. They seem to have evolved to part Johnny and June, part Bonnie and Clyde. All of which makes their scenes second only to Boyd and Raylan.

The only major flaw from last night was that it needed more Boyd, which will hopefully happen in the coming weeks as viewers get a glimpse of the real reason why he had himself thrown in the same prison as Dickie Bennett.

There was a definite edge to last night's premiere, with the show going into a completely different direction from season two, yet still keeping the core qualities that makes "Justified" one of the most anticipated series of spring.

Getting a Bag of Crap

2012-01-16T11:31:00.000-08:00

Maybe I should start by saying it's not a literal "bag of crap." Although that might be a bit blogworthy if that did happen.

It's, for those who don't know, essentially a grab bag of sorts from the website Woot. So basically, it's a box filled with stuff. Could be good, could be... well, crap.

What Woot does is every now and then they sell the Bag of Crap and fill the boxes with stuff from the warehouse of things that didn't sell or even broken items. I remember reading about one buyer who received a box filled with broken MP3 players.

But, it could also be something awesome. This guy actually got a flat screen TV!

Now, normally, it's a random thing and hard to get. But, there are days like Christmas Eve when everyone knows they'll be selling a Bag of Crap.

I would say for the last five years I've been trying to get one, but to no avail.

This all changed on Dec. 24.

Below is me unwrapping my Bag of Crap, with video production by my 11-year-old niece Zoe.

Golden Globes live blog

2012-01-15T16:27:00.000-08:00

Golden Globes

'The Finder' stays loyal while finding its own path

2012-01-12T10:13:00.000-08:00

FOX’s new drama “The Finder” follows the exploits of Walter Sherman (Geoff Stults), a former Army MP who can find anything.

Though the series is a “Bones” spinoff, executive producer Hart Hanson and Stults feel that the show is unique enough to set it apart from its hit predecessor.

“It’s just fun and entertaining and that’s I think what our goal is. We’re just trying to have a nice 43 minute enjoyable show that people can tune in at any point and any part of the series and any part of the episodes and enjoy themselves and understand what’s going on,” said Stults in a conference call with reporters.

“The head of production at 20th Century Fox TV told all the line producers in order to prioritize what made it to the screen that they should ask their show runner what was first and foremost. And without a doubt I didn’t even have to think about it; it was entertainment; we just want to entertain an audience for an hour once a week,” Hanson said.

Like Emily Deschanel’s Temperance Brennan, Walter is a gifted genius with limited social skills. However, Walter’s lack of social graces are a byproduct of his PTSD.

“His PTSD, it manifests itself into a little bit of a, he lacks social grace. He’s a little paranoid. He’s not very trusting of people. And he isn’t the perfect dinner guest, but he’s fun,” Stults said. “If he’s thinking in terms of what he may say, he never intends to be insulting, but it’s just matter of fact to him.”

For Stults it is important to be true in his portrayal of Walter’s PTSD, while keeping some of the fun traits of his character.

“At the root of Walter, he’s a former military policeman who suffered a little brain trauma when he was serving in Iraq, so that’s what allows us the entry point into the series and also into Walter,” Stults said. “We certainly think it’s very important to hardenize it and in no way are we trying to make light of PTSD and those people that actually suffer from it because it’s a very real disease and a very real problem for our troops and other people for many other reasons. But it allows us this really interesting dramatic license too, it’s like the focal point for all these different things that Walter does.”

“The Finder” originally premiered as an episode of “Bones” where Walter was joined by Michael Clarke Duncan as his legal adviser Leo and Saffron Burrows as Ike the bartender. However, Burrows character was cut when the pilot was ordered to series and replaced with Maddie Hasson as juvenile delinquent Willa Monday and Mercedes Masöhn as U.S. Marshal Isabel Zambada.

Though “The Finder” is a “Bones” spinoff and is relying on its fans to help it gain success, the series is striving to stand out from its hit lead-in.

“Creatively this show stands on its own…it lives in the same universe as “Bones,” meaning that it’s a heightened reality. I hope largely humorous for people, we’ll make you cry; we’ll make you think a little bit of philosophy, a little bit of laughs,” Hanson said. “We are all trying to get the loyal kind of audience that “Bones” has, a nice chunk of people who followed “Bones” from time slot to time slot. If we can get a part of that audience on “The Finder,” then it benefits everyone.”

“We’re aware that we’ll be mixing, hopefully, obviously we’re going to be counting on some people coming over, Stults said. “We realize that there are some die-hard “Bones” fans. We realize that there’ll be criticism because we are not the same thing.”

“I guess we come from the same world…I actually called Bones the varsity team and The Finder is the JV team,” Stults said. “We’re born from “Bones.” We exist, “The Finder” and the 200 crew members of “The Finder” exist because of the success of “Bones” and David and Emily and the rest of the cast…so we really exist because of them and we’re grateful to that and we understand that without “Bones,” “The Finder” doesn’t exist, but yet we are different.”

“The Finder” premieres on FOX Jan. 12 at 9 p.m. following the winter finale of “Bones.”

'House of Lies' makes hipsters even more annoying

2012-01-10T09:29:00.000-08:00

Showtime has created a niche market for itself with pseudo comedies starring unlikable lead characters. Now it is adding to its roster with "House of Lies."

The series follows the exploits of consulting firm Galweather & Stern, which is led by Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan, a cutthroat consultant who has no boundaries when it comes to business. Kristen Bell plays his associate Jeannie Van Der Hooven, a business psychology major who sees through all of Marty's crap.

While Cheadle and Bell are able to hold some viewer interest based on talent and charm, the premise so far seems a little thin and needs to be fleshed out.

One major hurdle for the show is that besides Bell, the other characters are not only unlikable, they're uninteresting.

In the pilot she's the only one who seems to make any sense.

Perhaps the writers should spend more time on character development and less time on how cool everyone is.

Marty's major competition comes from his crazy ex-wife who runs the No. 1 management consulting firm to Marty's No. 2. They have a son who has gender identity issues that Marty simultaneously dislikes and supports.

Cheadle holds Marty together as best he can, but it feels like he's painfully aware he's better than the material he's been given.

The main problem with "House of Lies" is that it seems all over the place, like it can't decide what show it wants to be. This is common in early episodes of new series, though viewers will only wait so long before it becomes too much work to stay invested in a group of unlikable hipsters.

Midseason TV fantasy draft

2012-01-09T09:18:00.000-08:00

Every fall Tim and I sit down and divide up all the new shows in our own fantasy draft. Last week over milkshakes and fries, we split up this year's midseason replacements.

Look for us to cover these shows as they premiere in the coming weeks.

Note: We both vetoed "Work It" and "Are You There Chelsea."

Tim: "Alcatraz," "The River," "Napoleon Dynamite," "Touch," "The Firm," "Missing" and "Level Up."

Stephanie: "Smash," "House of Lies," "The Fades," "Lost Girl," "The Finder," "GCB," "Life's Too Short" and "Jane by Design."

In addition to new shows, there are several returning shows we will continue to cover like "Spartacus" and "Justified."

Best movies of 2011 (middle of the pack)

2012-01-06T21:21:00.000-08:00

Stephanie and I are still in the midst of putting together our top films of 2011 lists.

Granted, there are a few more movies each of us want to see. Side note: Can "The Artist" please expand to a few more theaters so we can see it?

Ranking my top films doesn't require much. As soon as I see a film I immediately rank it. Back in the day I used to just keep them all in a Word file.

Now I use Yahoo Movies because they have a pretty sweet "My Movies" section where you can review and rank films. On one particularly boring Saturday, I threw all my lists onto the site.

I got each year all the way to 1984 ranked. I have a catch-all 1983 and below list for everything else.

Since putting my top 10 and bottom one movie out there would spoil our big presentation, I thought I could post the middle of the pack films. Not the worst films, but not the best either.

I will say that, so far, I've seen 30 films (not counting multiple viewings of the same film). So here are the 18 films that are not in the top 10 best and bottom two worst:

28. "X-Men: First Class" - I remember Stephanie and I sitting in the theater laughing because it was so bad. And this coming from a die-hard "X-Men" fan.
27. "In Time"
26. "Everything Must Go"
25. "Cedar Rapids" - I was looking forward to this one for months. Too bad it was seriously unfunny.
24. "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" - Only thing that saved this one from being worst of the year was some great effects. And not the horrible JFK ones.
23. "Horrible Bosses"
22. "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" - Is it sad that the pirate parts of "Tintin" were better than this entire movie?
21. "Real Steel"
20. "The Lincoln Lawyer"
19. "Bridesmaids" - Funny, but not that funny. Come on son.
18. "Green Lantern" - I didn't hate it as much as other people did.
17. "Harry Potter"
16. "Cowboys and Aliens"
15. "Paul"
14. "The Hangover: Part II" - Yes, it's the same exact movie, but it's funny.
13. "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows"
12. "Larry Crowne" - Heartwarming and meaningful. And a movie your parents can see with you.
11. "Fright Night" - Barely, barely missed the top 10. Rarely can a remake be a good movie, but this one worked on so many levels. Bonus points for awesome David Tennant.

So there it is. Next week (or so) we'll be putting up our official lists. Of course, even this one is subject to change.

Inscaped: Best TV of 2011

2012-01-05T11:30:00.000-08:00

Winter movie preview: The cream of the crap

2012-01-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that January-April provide little in the way of box office breakouts. Sure there may be a "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" every once in a while, but for the most part these early months are when studios clean off their shelves before summer.

With that in mind, here's the guide to the few movies worth checking out in the next few months.

"Contraband" is an action packed Mark Wahlberg thriller where he plays a ex-smuggler who is drawn back into the criminal world when his family is threatened by his former associates.

While this looks like a run of the mill action flick, Wahlberg will make it better than average and it could provide a nice change of pace from all the Oscar dramas currently flooding theaters. (Jan. 13)

"Beauty and the Beast (3D)" doesn't change the story or fun of the Disney classic but it does give families who've never seen it on the big screen a new way to enjoy the film. And of course, it's in 3D. There are also rumors that a "Tangled" short will premiere before it. That alone might be worth the $12. (Jan. 13)

"Haywire" is your typical assassin wronged by her own employers, who must go on the run. However, this film has an all-star cast that includes Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas and Michael Douglas, and is directed by Steven Soderbergh. A pedigree like that would normally make it a sure thing. The only draw back is that the main character is played by former MMA champion Gina Carano. In this case the big stars may outweigh the non-acting former fighter. (Jan. 20)

"Underworld: Awakening" is the fourth film in the original vampires vs. werewolves series. Kate Beckinsale returns as death dealer Selene, who must now fight a race of super lycans. A major change is that humans have discovered vampires and werewolves and started a campaign of destruction. Original director Len Wiseman produced and co-wrote this installment which was shot in 3D. These films are always fun because they don't try to be anything they're not and they stay faithful to the world they have built. (Jan. 20)

"The Grey" continues Liam Neeson's streak of ass-kicking roles as he portrays a plane crash survivor who leads a group through the Alaskan wilderness, in the process fighting off a pack of wolves. Neeson has proven that watching him kick butt for 2 hours is always a good time. (Jan. 27)

"Chronicle" is a new twist on a found footage film where the subjects are teenagers who have developed superpowers and try to fight succumbing to darker tendencies. While this story has been told a million times before, the superpower aspect gives it a new quality. (Feb. 3)

"Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (3D)" is obviously the worst chapter in the "Star Wars" legacy but all the nerds will still be lined up to see it in 3D on the big screen. Sometimes we just can't help ourselves. (Feb. 10)

"Safe House" stars Ryan Reynolds as a green CIA agent who must guard a notorious fugitive at a safe house that soon comes under seige. Under normal circumstances that wouldn't sound overly interesting, but with Denzel Washington playing the fugitive, it just got 100 times better. The cast also includes Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Shepherd, Robert Patrick and Sebastian Roche. Now that sounds like good times. (Feb. 10)

"Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" once again stars Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider. Though the first one was awful and there's no reason to think that this will be any better, nerd requirements force us to mention all superhero based films. (Feb. 17)

"This Means War" is a romantic comedy about two spies played by Chris Pine and Tom Hardy who fall in love with the same woman, portrayed by Reese Witherspoon, then begin to use CIA resources to mess up each other's dates. Romantic comedies are a dime a dozen, so anytime something new is discovered it's always worth checking out. (Feb. 17)

"Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" stars Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as grown up versions of the brother and sister who have become witch bounty hunters. Though the trailer hasn't been released yet, the premise is fascinating and fairy tales are very popular right now. Plus any chance to see Renner in action hero mode is appreciated. (March 2)

"The Hunger Games" is destined for box office domination. It's based on an extremely popular book series and by all accounts filmmakers have done a good job with the adaptation. With a cast that includes Jennifer Lawrence, Elizabeth Banks, Josh Hutcherson, Stanley Tucci, Lenny Kravitz and Donald Sutherland, and absolutely no competition this movie is set up to become the first giant success of 2012. (March 23)

"Titanic (3D)" will attempt to revive the frenzy that the film's original release caused, only this time it will be in 3D. Though there's nothing new to see here, expect lots of nostalgia viewings and a renewed love affair with Jack and Rose. (April 6)

There are plenty of movies not on the list, but to be honest does anyone care about "Journey 2," "Wrath of the Titans" or "American Reunion."

Thought not.

One last awesome 2011 memory

2012-01-02T15:52:00.000-08:00

Going to Japan again was obviously a highlight.

And bringing my, then, 10-year-old niece just made it even better.

We had a blast enjoying all the rides and trying out treats like Maple Churros and Soy Sauce Popcorn.

Best pop culture moments of 2011

2011-12-30T19:04:00.000-08:00

2011 was a great year for pop culture.

There were plenty of great TV moments, great movies and a wave of excellent comics.

Stephanie and I were lucky enough to witness a lot of them firsthand.

So here are some of my favorite moments from 2011 that I saw with my own eyes in person:

Just like the electric moment at Comic-Con 2010 I was able, once again, to see "Avengers" madness firsthand.

And Disney made us work for it. I literally had to sit through hours of stuff to get maybe 5 minutes of "Avengers" stuff. Some of it was great (first look at "The Muppets"), some alright ("Brave") and then a painful, what seemed like four hour long look at "John Carter."

But, I was one of only a couple thousand people to see "Avengers" footage that, to this day, has still not been shown anywhere else. Bragging rights alone were awesome enough.

Another great moment was seeing "Weird Al" Yankovic perform literally a mile away from my house.

It was a two hour plus long show that had all of the hits performed. I got chills when he started playing "Eat It."

He really can put on a show. The audience was filled with everyone from kids to older people. Talk about a varied audience. And not just a good show, but he sounded great. Like CD quality good.

Here's a quick clip of his performance at my show.

It was also beyond exciting to see him at the "Nerdist" taping Stephanie and I went to. As he was walking in (without an entourage) I smiled and nodded to him and not a nerdy nod back. Then I sat behind him for one segment.

I polietly asked him if there was any chance he would play the Coachella Music Festival this year and he replied with a big smile "If they ask me!"

Because he was so amazing I went nuts with my acting ability when they announced him as The Nerdist of the Year.

Seriously, look out for the crazy guy behind Al at the seven second mark:

But, my No. 1 favorite pop culture moment of 2011 was actually at Coachella this year. When it was announced that Duran Duran would perform, I got a little excited.

Then as the show loomed closer, I got even more excited.

Then as Duran Duran took to the stage I started geeking out. They first played "Planet Earth" and woke everyone up.

And then this happened:

It was glorious and amazing. I called Stephanie just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I actually turned into a crazy man, dancing around and singing along.

Merry Geekmas!

2011-12-28T18:45:00.000-08:00

If there was any doubt before that I was a geek, my Christmas gifts came along to remind me "oh, yeah geek!"

The Green Lantern snuggie type thing in the earlier post? A Christmas gift from my equally nerdy friend Kim (I got her a Penguin stuffed animal... the Batman villain, not a penguin penguin.)

I also got this massive Batman book from Stephanie. I'm going to do an entire separate entry on this bad boy. Not only is it huge, but very heavy. It's basically a scrapbook of Bruce Wayne's life. And includes Batcave blueprints.

My niece knows how nerdy I am, so she made me this:

And the inside (I was so proud when I opened it up):

Funny when, in life, you hope people really know you. Like personally know what you love and what makes you tick. And for a kid to realize this?

I also got an Iron Man vinyl bobblehead, loads of "Thundercats" stuff and a giant Wolverine book (I think my mom stole the idea from Stephanie.)

Tim's Christmas gifts (to himself)

2011-12-27T19:29:00.000-08:00

In what has become a yearly tradition for me, I was once again braving the crowds at Target the day after Christmas.

No, I wasn't looking for half off decorations or discounted lights. Target seems to only want to put this one item I want on sale at this time.

Each year I plan a little better and learn more tricks to get in, grab it and get out as quickly as possible.

Oh, the item?

Yes, I own every season of "Psych" on DVD and I've purchased each one at Target during the holidays. I've never spent more than $14.99 for a set.

One year, I got a season for $12.99.

With a usual price of $39-$44, it's almost a steal for $14.99.

And this is a show where if I need cheering up, I can just grab a disc and start laughing. I think my disc with "American Duos" on it might need to be replaced I've played it so much.

I did grab another excellent deal on Super Monday (the day after Christmas).

Best Buy had season two of "Community" for $14.99, with a usual price of $39.99. Add to that the $5 Reward Zone certificate I got (and free shipping), I got the set for less than $11.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T16:52:00.001-08:00

Stephanie's best TV of 2011 part 2

2011-12-22T09:26:00.001-08:00

As promised here is part two of my best TV of 2011 list. Unlike the bottom half of the list, there aren't a lot of surprises here as many of these choices made the list last year. As a matter of fact No. 1 hasn't changed.

1. "Doctor Who" - After his fantastic debut in season six Matt Smith really hit his stride as The Doctor, in the process redefining a 50 year old character. Executive producer/head writer Steven Moffat started the season off with the most stunning scene ever, The Doctor's death, and used it to build a season long story arc that was a masterclass in story development. The action never let up and built to an amazing cliffhanger and an even better finale. Long story short, it's the best show of the year hands down. Highlight episodes: "The Impossible Astronaut," "The Doctor's Wife," "The Girl Who Waited," "The Wedding of River Song."

2. "Game of Thrones" - The scope and size of George R.R. Martin's novels makes them almost un-adaptable. However, HBO did the impossible and brought Westeros to life in remarkable fashion. Every aspect of the stunning production from cinematography, to set design to costuming was a perfect rendition of what fans had been imagining for years. What really made the show work however was the casting. Peter Dinklage as Tyrion, Sean Bean as Ned Stark, Lena Heady as Cersei Lannister; there were absolutely no bad casting decisions made. Highlight episodes: "Winter is Coming," "A Golden Crown," "Baelor," "Fire and Blood."

3. "Castle" - It's no secret how much we love "Castle." Every year the show just gets better and better, with seasons three and four providing some of the series' best episodes yet. The stunning revelations about the death of Beckett's mother, the jaw-dropping cliffhanger and heart-wrenching premiere provided moments for the entire cast to shine. While it's the relationship between Castle and Beckett that keeps fans tuning in each week, it's the small moments, looks and lines that catapults the show to greatness each season. Highlight episodes: "Setup/Countdown" "Knockout," "Rise," "Cops & Robbers," "Kill Shot."

4. "Smallville" - Though this show had a roller coaster run of up and down seasons, it finished strong with a final season that was a love letter to fans who had stuck with it. Lois and Clark finally got together, the Justice Society was a real team, Lex and Clark had a showdown about their future and Clark finally became Superman. It was everything fans wanted and allowed the long running series to go out on a high. Highlight episodes: "Beacon," "Booster," "Finale."

5. "Community" - There is not a single show on television more creative than "Community." It constantly pull off the unexpected and makes every episode feel like a 30 minute movie. The characters are absurd, the setting is over the top ridiculous and the situations are completely fantastical. However, it all comes together to create this genius little show that keeps gaining momentum despite NBC's many attempts to sink it. Highlight episodes: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons," "A Fist Full of Paintballs/For a Few Paintballs More," "Remedial Chaos Theory," "Regional Holiday Music."

6. "Justified" - The trials of U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens just wouldn't work with anyone other than Timothy Olyphant as the lead. While Walton Goggins and Margo Martindale received plenty of well deserved praise for their work in the series' second season, it's Olyphant that carries the show. His simultaneous frustration and deeply hidden comfort at being stationed at home in Kentucky is brilliant. Plus his every scene he and Goggins have together is just perfect. Highlight episodes: "The Moonshine war," "The Life Inside," "Brother's Keeper," "Bloody Harlan."

7. "How I Met Your Mother" - In its seventh season, this show seems to no longer have anything to do with its title, however, it's so consistently funny who cares. This year it has blended humor and poignancy to deliver some of the show's strongest episodes, while the continuing will they/won't they aspect of Barney and Robin's relationship has given Neil Patrick Harris and Cobie Smulders some of their best material. Highlight episodes: "Bad News," "Last Words," "Disaster Averted," "Tick, Tick, Tick..."

8. "Person of Interest" - This high concept drama works almost solely on the basis of its fantastic two leads Michael Emerson and Jim Caviezel. Finch gets the social security numbers of a person of interest from the machine, while Reese is the former CIA agent who figures out of they are a victim or perpetrator. Emerson is of course brilliant, but it's Caviezel's tortured yet healing spy that is a constant source of interest. Best new show of the year. Highlight episodes: "Pilot," "Ghosts," "Witness."

9. "The Good Wife" -It is the rare show doesn't deliver a bad episode ever. This year that show has been "The Good Wife." While Julianna Margulies has really carried the first two seasons, this year the rest of the cast has really stepped up its game making every episode can't miss. Season three had Will and Alicia finally giving into their feelings, Eli joining the firm full time and the Will/Peter showdown fans have been waiting three years for. The only drawback is that producers need to get Alicia and Kalinda back together because their friendship was one of the series' best relationships. Highlight episodes: "A New day," "The Death Zone," "Marthas and Caitlins," "Executive Order 13224."

10. "Sons of Anarchy" - When a show has a season as brilliant as "SOA's" third, it's difficult to follow up with that same level of quality (I'm looking at you "Dexter"). However, "Sons" fourth season picked up where the previous one left off, with Jax pulling away from his club and closer to his family, while Clay pulled away from everything and painted himself into an irredeemable corner. Everything culminated with Jax and Tara becoming the new heads of SAMCRO and Gemma wondering how her plan had gone wrong. By the way, where the hell is Katey Sagal's Emmy? Highlight episodes: "Out," "With an X," "Hands," "To Be Act1/2."

So there it is my best TV of 2011. "Doctor Who" pulls off the repeat, while "Person of Interest" and "Game of Thrones make first time appearances.

Hit the comments and let me know what you think of my choices, what shows I left off and what shows you think shouldn't have made it. I look forward to your disdain.

Stephanie's best TV of 2011 part 1

2011-12-21T11:11:00.000-08:00

With the 2011 coming to an end. It's time for Tim and I to take a look at our best TV of the year. Part one starts today with 11-21. That's right 21, because I just couldn't narrow it down to 20.

11. "Leverage" - Put simply it's one of the most fun shows on TV. The way the team interacts and the cleverness of the capers they pull off makes this TNT drama one of the shows that I can't miss and genuine appointment viewing. Highlight episodes: "The Long Way Down Job," "The Van Gogh Job," "The Experimental Job."

12. "Downton Abbey" - What more can I say about how good this PBS British import was? It was perfectly cast, with every episode building on the previous one. From Matthew and Mary star-crossed romance to Thomas and O'Brien's manipulations to Maggie Smith's endlessly entertaining Dowager Countess, there was not a single bad moment in the entire series.

13. "The Glades" - This A&E procedural really hit its stride in season two, fleshing out the main characters and making the cases less cookie cutter and more localized. The real draw however is the charm of lead Matt Passmore, who toned down detective Jim Longworth's a-hole exterior and turned him into a true hero. Highlight episodes: "Moonlighting," "Iron Pipeline," "Breakout."

14. "NCIS" - After nine seasons on the air most shows start to feel stale and phone it in, but "NCIS" is the rare show that seems to get better and more popular every year. While constant airings of reruns help it continually gain new viewers, it's the appeal of the team chemistry that makes the show rise above other procedurals. At this point Gibbs, Tony, Abby, McGee, Ziva and Ducky are like old friends that you meet up with every Tuesday night. Plus Mark Harmon still has that "Summer School" charm. Highlight episodes: "Recruitment," "Baltimore," "Engaged."

15. "Modern Family" - It's hard to find a show on television as consistently laugh out loud funny as "Modern Family." What makes it work so well is the absurd reality of the situations the Pritchett/Dunphy clan often finds themselves in. It's also nice to see a family that obviously loves each other despite the hilarious dysfunction of their relationships. Plus who is funnier than Eric Stonestreet, Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen? Highlight episodes: "Caught in the Act," (made me do and actual spit take) "When Good Kids Go Bad," "Phil on Wire," "Express Christmas."

16. "True Blood" - Season four of "True Blood" went deeper into the witch world with vampires fighting against a powerful vengeful witch named Marnie. However, the season belonged to Alexander Skarsgard who gave us yet another reason to fall in love with Eric when he developed amnesia and embarked on the long-awaited love affair with Sookie. Stephen Moyer must also be commended for giving Bill some teeth as the newly crowned King of Louisiana. "True Blood" continues to work because despite its large cast, at some point during the season everyone gets a chance to take center stage. Highlight episodes: "You Smell Like Dinner," "Spellbound," "Soul of Fire," "And When I Die."

17. "Supernatural" - Though season seven has not started out as strong as fans would hope. The end of season six featured some of the cult hit's funniest and most heartbreaking episodes. It also continued the series' trend of poking fun at itself in the most meta ways possible. Highlight episodes: "Like a Virgin," "The French Mistake," "My Heart Will Go On."

18. "Parks and Recreation" - This show is so ridiculously fun that I wish I lived in Pawnee. What "Parks and Rec" does so well is the little in between moments. Sure the big jokes are hilarious, but it's the throwaway lines and moments that will have you still laughing a few days later. Highlight episodes: "Road Trip," "Pawnee Rangers," "Meet 'n' Greet."

19. "Necessary Roughness" - USA continued its hit streak with this drama about a therapist who ends up working with pro football player Terrance "TK" King, which leads her to a client list full of sports stars and celebrities. At first the only thing holding this show up was the performance of lead Callie Thorne, However, it quickly became one of USA's patented character driven shows that thrives on the chemistry between the cast. Highlight episodes: "Pilot," "Habit Forming," "Baggage Claim."

20. "2 Broke Girls" - Though its new, this show has a quirky voice that makes it my new favorite comedy. Most of that is due to star Kat Dennings, who is impossible not to laugh at. She has the ability to make the most mundane task, such as lighting a pilot light, hilarious. Highlight episodes: "And the Rich People Problems," "And the Really Petty Cash."

21. "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" - When Andy Whitfield was diagnosed with lymphoma and needed time for treatment, Steven S. DeKnight filled out the story with a prequel season. As it turned out the prequel was just as fascinating as the original, even helping to explain some characters motivations. Fans were introduced to new gladiators and early incarnations of established favorites. The series also provided a chance for Lucy Lawless and John Hannah to further explore the depths of the bond between Lucretia and Quintus. And of course there were plenty more kickass fights in the gladiator arena. Highlight episodes: "Beneath the Mask," "Reckoning," "The Bitter End."

So there it is, 11-21. Feel free to hit the comments and let me know what you think of part 1 of my best of TV list. Look for part 2 tomorrow.

'Terra Nova:' It's the end of the world...or is it the beginning?

2011-12-20T08:40:00.000-08:00

Last night's spectacular two hour "Terra Nova" season finale (series finale?) had the producers throwing in every plot cliche but the kitchen sink. There was a civil war, an occupation, a rebellion, a bomb stopped at one second, a daring escape, a heartbreaking death of a main character, and the hero outrunning explosions.

We jumped right in with Taylor and the crew getting ready for an invasion from the evil empire. They've got almost every gun aimed at the Stargate waiting for the 11th pigrimage. Things run smoothly at first with normal colonists showing up, even Shannon son Josh's girlfriend Kara is among them.

Unfortunately for Kara the next person through is a suicide bomber, and just like that shit got real.

Actual hilarious texts between Tim and I during the show:

Tim: So all season, every episode, they've gone on and on about bringing the son's girlfriend to Terra Nova. 5 minutes into the finale she arrives and is promptly killed.

Steph: She showed up for like 10 seconds.

Tim: All that time and effort wasted on plot.

So now without us getting to see the big war they've been teasing all season, the Phoenix Group has taken over Terra Nova. Their big masterplan is to strip mine the planet for its natural resources and send them back to 2149. Because starting over and doing things right is too much of a hassle?

More hilarious texts:

Steph: Why don't they just go ahead and call the meteor unobtanium?

Tim: They're going to burn everything down. Like they don't need plants in the future.

Steph: Who needs oxygen?

Tim: Yeah that totally wasn't the problem in the pilot.

Taylor's insane son Lucas is now running the colony, while Taylor and his men have disappeared into the jungle. Though he started off as the crazy scientist in the corner, it's worth noting that Lucas was a really great creepy villain.

For those of you wondering about Mira, she was sent on an errand to the Badlands and never showed up again for the rest of the finale. This made no sense since she had been running things this whole time and could have used her knowledge of the jungle to thwart Taylor's attacks.

But this is "Terra Nova," making sense is for TV shows without dinosaurs.

After some help from Jim on the inside, Taylor uses guerilla warfare and a montage to up his attacks against the Phoenix Group. Ultimately it's time for the Shannon family to get out of dodge. Unfortunately, Washington has to sacrifice herself to help them escape, in the process delivering a message to Taylor about how to defeat the evil empire.

Washington's death, while not surprising, was one of the few cliched scenes that still worked. She went out defiant, defending her people from tyrants as Taylor watched from the distance, finally seeing the man his son had become.

Her message was for Taylor to blow up the Stargate in 2149, thereby cutting themselves and the enemy off from the terrible future and finally getting a truly fresh start.

Even more hilarious texts:

Steph: So they're gonna blow up the portal in the future and cut themselves off.

Tim: The futuristic stuff was the best part, now it will be "Land of the Lost."

While Jim is in 2149 trying to blow up the portal (with a little help from a dinosaur), Taylor finally has a showdown with his crazy son. He beats the crap out of him saying he's glad his mother couldn't see what he became. Turns out all Lucas' issues are just manifestations of survivor's guilt over his mother's death.

Another round of hilarious texts:

Tim: God, with these kind of daddy issues, you'd think this was "Lost."

Steph: It's "Lost" with dinosaurs and lasers.

Once Jim blows up the portal and heroic outruns the explosion and the dinosaur back to Terra Nova, the Phoenix Group hightails it to the Badlands and the colonists return home.

They also figure out that there may be another portal in the Badlands, which is why the evil empire headed out there.

Though this show was stunningly ridiculous and contrived at times, there were flashes of greatness throughtout the first season. Amd the finale was actually entertaining and fun. I think FOX should pull a "Dollhouse" and order a surprise second season and give producers a chance to see where they can take it.

'Dark Knight Rises' reactions and spoilers

2011-12-19T07:59:00.000-08:00

Now that we've given everyone the weekend to see either the prologue or trailer for "The Dark Knight Rises" let's spoil the crap out of them.

First up the prologue which ran before IMAX screenings of "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol." The clip encompasses the first six minutes of the film and features a professor being rescued by the CIA. However, there's a surprise when soldiers who worked for the famed assassin Bane have been captured as well.

Once on the plane, the lead agent tries interrogating the prisoners, but it turns out it was all part of the plan and Bane is actually among the captured men. He needed to make sure the professor didn't say anything.

Bane then proceeds to take over the plane when his much larger plane descends in and hooks up the small CIA plane. This was a fantastic bit of filming that played extremely well in IMAX. The way everyone fell back on the plane as Bane remained in control reminded me of the fight in "Inception." You keep wondering how did they do that?

Finally Bane hooks the professor up to a dead soldier and gives him a blood transfer, presumably giving the professor an injection of Venom.

Bane and the professor are then lifted out of the plane as it crashes.

The prologue ends with a sizzle reel of shots from the movie including the big fight between Batman and Bane. All in all an OK preview, but really nothing new or unexpected.

With all the hype surrounding the IMAX prologue, no one had any idea that a awesome trailer was being released with "Sherlok Holmes."

As you can see the trailer provides more insight into plot and shows more of the cast, though unless I'm mistaken there was no Morgan Freeman. However, the one thing both clips have in common is neither has very much Batman in them. This makes me wonder what surprises Christopher Nolan is trying to keep under wraps.

I guess we'll all have to wait until "The Dark Knight Rises" hits theaters July 20.

Trailer roundup

2011-12-16T05:05:00.000-08:00

This week a bunch of new trailers were released so we decided to do a quick recap of our first impressions.

"G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation"

I'm trying to figure out what any of this has to do with G.I. Joe. This looks like a generic action movie that they're slapping a familiar name on in order to boost its profile. Channing Tatum and Bruce Willis return from the first one but other than that it does look completely different, which is its one saving grace.

"Men In Black 3"

Stop me if you've heard this one. Will Smith works for a secret government agency, he tracks aliens living in New York and cracks wise with his partner Tommy Lee Jones. What's that you say? You've seen this movie twice already and have no need for a third one. Well no matter cause Will Smith needs a giant payday and another big soundtrack hit.

"Expendables 2"

Jean Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris join the team for the sequel. Enough said.

"Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance"

This is one of those movies where story doesn't matter much. While this one looks marginally better than the first one, that's not saying much. Also once again I have no desire to see Nicholas Cage urinate fire. However, no one does eccentric hero like Cage and that's always worth the price of admission.

"Jack the Giant Killer"

Though this movie hasn't been garnering a lot of buzz, look for that to pick up in 2012. It has a top notch director in Bryan Singer, talented co-writer Christopher McQuarrie and an all-star cast including Ewen McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane, Bill Nighy and young standout Nicholas Hoult. Updated fairy tales are very popular right now so that will help it get a lot of attention.

"Rock of Ages"

This is the long awaited movie aaptation of the popular Broadway musical. The story centers around the 1980s Sunset Strip music scene and stars everyone from Alec Baldwin to Mary J. Blige to Catherine Zeta-Jones. Of course the real draw is Tom Cruise as rock God Stacee Jaxx. Unfortunately the trailer goes out of its way to not show Cruise. I suppose the producers are trying to build suspense but if you had the world's biggest movie star singing Bon Jovi wouldn't you put that out there as much as possible?

So what does everyone think of the latest batch of trailers? What are you most excited about? Hit the comments and let us know.

Inscaped for Dec. 15

2011-12-15T18:49:00.000-08:00

SAG nominations: TV reactions

2011-12-14T09:10:00.000-08:00

While there were a few surprises in the motion picture categories the Screen Actors Guild TV nominations were as expected with "Modern Family" received five nominations including outstanding cast in a comedy, Sofia Vergara and Julie Bowen for comedy actress and Ty Burrell and Eric Stonestreet for comedy actor.

"30 Rock" continued its award domination with three nominations for Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin and cast, while America's sweetheart Betty White received two nominations for comedy actress in "Hot in Cleveland" and TV movie or miniseries actress for "The Lost Valentine."

In the drama categories, the lead actress nominees reads more like an Oscar list with Kyra Sedgwick for "The Closer," Julianna Margulies in "The Good Wife," Jessica Lange in "American Horror Story," and Kathy Bates and Glenn Close getting their second nods, as they were both nominated in movie categories.

Nerds can rejoice since "Game of Thrones" was nominated for outstanding cast in a drama series, though it has stiff competition against "The Good Wife," "Boardwalk Empire," "Breaking Bad" and "Dexter."

Unfortunately, neither Sean Bean nor Peter Dinklage were singled out for their fantastic work this year.

The guild's one true surprise came in its nomination of newcomer Patrick J. Adams for "Suits." This nod doesn't make any sense when you consider all the other strong performances that weren't recognized like Nathan Fillion, Josh Charles, Charlie Hunnam, Timothy Olyphant, Walton Goggins and on and on.

A few other nominations of note: Kate Winslet for "Mildred Pierce," Maggie Smith for "Downton Abbey," and Kyle Chandler and Steve Carell for their final performances on "Friday Night Lights" and "The Office."

The SAG Awards air Jan. 29 on TNT and TBS at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

SAG nominations: Movie reactions

2011-12-14T08:45:00.000-08:00

With award season in full swing, the Screen Actors Guild announced its nominations this morning. "The Help" led the way with four nominations including cast, Viola Davis for lead actress, Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer for supporting actress.

While Davis and Spencer weren't surprises, Chastain was, as many thought her recognition would be for "The Debt" though she was great in "The Help."

The other big winner was "Bridesmaids" which received surprise nominations for cast and supporting actress Melissa McCarthy.

Rounding out the best performance by a cast category was "The Artist," "Midnight in Paris" and "The Descendants."

In a surprise to no one George Clooney was also nominated for lead actor against Demian Bichir for "A Better Life," Jean Dujardin in "The Artist," Leonardo DiCaprio for "J. Edgar" and his good friend Brad Pitt in "Moneyball" which should make for a fun ceremony if one of them wins.

Davis will be up against a very strong lead actress field with Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady," Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs," Tilda Swinton in "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and Michelle Williams for "My Week With Marilyn."

A few other nominees of note include Jonah Hill, Kenneth Branagh and Armie Hammer in the supporting actor category and France's First Lady Carla Bruni as a member of the "Midnight in Paris" ensemble.

The SAG Awards air Jan. 29 on TNT and TBS at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

'Doctor Who' is the best present

2011-12-13T17:17:00.000-08:00

My favorite thing about Christmas is hands down new "Doctor Who" specials every year. This year marks Matt Smith's second outing and promises to be even more fun than last year's "A Christmas Carol."

These videos from BBC America offer a look at what Whovians can expect from "Doctor Who: The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe" which premieres on BBC America Christmas Day at 9 p.m.

Check out the alien tree which looks like the creepiest thing since "Blink" where we met the Weeping Angels.

Name that G.I. Joe!

2011-12-12T17:45:00.000-08:00

The first trailer for the sequel "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" is out now and has people around the world scratching their heads.

Seriously.

I might have been a "Transformers" kid growing up, but my brother was a die-hard "G.I. Joe" fan and we had thousands of inter-promotional playing.

To be honest I did skip the first movie, only because it didn't look like what anyone would consider "G.I. Joe."

And this new movie? Even worse.

I dare anyone who is a "G.I. Joe" fan to tell me who these people are outside of Duke and Snake Eyes.

I guess on the plus side, the trailer says everyone else is dead. Sorry Marlon Wayans.

'Game of Thrones' teaser trailer. 'Winter is coming' in April 2012!

2011-12-11T18:29:00.000-08:00

"Game of Thrones" fans rejoice as HBO as released the season two teaser trailer. Tis will have to keep them satisfied until a more detailed trailer is released ahead of the April 2012 premiere.

Tease - Cold Winds Are Rising

Inscaped for Dec. 8

2011-12-09T17:25:00.001-08:00

#sixseasonsandamovie

2011-12-08T18:13:00.000-08:00

So we all know by now, because we've been complaining about it, that "Community" is going on a hiatus of sorts.

A lot of people are looking at that as a sign the show is going to get canceled. While that would suck, there might be hope.

The awesome people over at TVBythenumbers.com have a great analysis of how the show will actually get renewed.

God bless you syndication!

I was just reading something about "Community" that really is true. Funny or not, the show swings for the fences every single time. If it's not hilarious then it is exceptionally nerdy and borderline crazy.

#SaveGreendale

The awesomeness of Christmas in 'Eureka'

2011-12-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

There really aren't words to describe how brilliantly put together "Eureka's" Christmas episode was.

Like most things in Eureka, things started off quietly until a seemingly unrelated sequence of events came together to make the town animated.

It turned out Kevin, Zoe and Jenna were controlling everything with a cool holographic storybook that I totally want now. As the kids continued further into the story, the adults had to deal with increasingly crazy obstacles.

But let's start back at the beginning.

After being hit by the mysterious beam, everything shifted to computer animation. This style was fun but didn't offer the comedic effect of some of the others. However, it served as a great jumping off point for the zaniness of the episode.

The action then shifted to a classic cartoon style that reminded me of the "Yogi Bear Christmas Special." Suddenly Jack was an old school Ranger Smith and Andy his robot sidekick.

In a truly hilarious twist, Jack's much destroyed Jeep came to life with the voice of Jim Parsons, finally complained about all the crazy situations it gets dragged into and drove off abandoning Jack and Andy in the forest.

I swear with every animation switch the show just got funnier and funnier.

Meanwhile back at Global Dynamics Henry had become a pull string doll while Fargo was turned into a bobblehead and Allison was a Christmas bombshell.

Back in the forest, Jack and Andy were forced to fight snowman ninjas (or "sninjas") when the kids decided the story needed a bad guy. Fortunately they were saved by the Disney princess style Jo, who came complete with loyal bluebirds.

Making things even more hilarious was the switch to claymation straight out of a classic Christmas special.

This led to a humorous encounter with Taggart in the form of a polar bear and some fun bonding between Fargo and Henry.

Once the kids finally figured out what was going on they decided to give everyone a fighting chance against a now giant sized "sninja" by switching to anime.

The sequence included all the best hallmarks of anime; fantastical multi-colored backgrounds, extreme close-ups and gravity defying martial arts.

When things went back to normal, everyone gathered at the smart house for a heart warming celebration.

This was one of "Eureka's" best episodes ever, an instant classic and now my official all time favorite.

Inscaped for Dec. 1

2011-12-06T19:06:00.000-08:00

Editor's Note: Thanks to "The Amazing Race" we now know that Tintin was created in Belgium not France.

Up close at 'The Nerdist' taping

2011-12-05T07:46:00.000-08:00

Tim and I were among the lucky few who got into the taping of "The Nerdist" end of the year special.

In addition to the always fun Chris Hardwick, Jonah Ray and Matt Mira, the guest list also included Wil Wheaton and Nathan Fillion.

As you would expect from a lineup that good, we had a spectacular time. It's always great to see actors like Wheaton and Fillion truly embrace and honor their nerd roots.

The crowd stayed amazingly enthusiastic throughout the taping and got particularly excited when the surprise special guest showed up.

While not giving away too many spoilers we can tell you there was some hilarious talk of how transporters work, the sentencing requirements for Arkham City and how Wil Wheaton invented non-linear editing.

"The Nerdist" end of the year special premieres Dec. 24 at 9 p.m. on BBC America following the "Doctor Who" Christmas special.

'I Hate' Fox's new 'comedy'

2011-12-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

You may notice that the headline for this story features the word comedy in quotations. That's because while Fox's new show "I Hate My Teenage Daughter" is a comedy, it is almost comically unfunny.

The premise involves two former high school outcasts who've spoiled their daughters so much, they have turned into the girls who used to make their lives miserable.

Stars Jamie Pressly and Katie Finneran play the moms who are just realizing how far gone their daughters are. Chad L. Coleman and Eric Sheffer Stevens are the clueless ex-husbands/dads and Kevin Rahm is Stevens brother and the only adult who sees through these girls antics.

The main problem with this show is that none of these characters are remotely likable, meaning there's no one to root and therefore no reason to watch.

The pilot was seriously unfunny. The silence was deafening as I never laughed once.

Even more unsettling is the fact that this is such a strong cast with Pressly appearing on "My Name is Earl," Finneran in "You've Got Mail" and "Company," Stevens had an acclaimed run on "As the World Turns" and Rahm has starred in "Judging Amy" and "Desperate Housewives."

With all that talent, you'd think they could muster up a few laughs, and yet they don't. I found this particularly disappointing as I enjoy Pressly and Rahm, and loved Stevens on "As the World Turns."

Fortunately for Fox the ratings were OK with the show garnering 6.8 million viewers. (TV By the Numbers)

However, that number will almost certainly go down when "Happy Endings" returns to new episodes and "The X Factor" is no longer providing a cushy lead in.

Despite the not terrible ratings, this show is just to awful to remain on the air for long. Frankly it's embarrassing that it even made it past the pilot stage.

A DC New 52 title almost snuck through

2011-11-29T19:34:00.000-08:00

Sunday night. I was bored out of my mind.

I went onto 4 Color Fantasies Internet storefront just to browse around. I had already purchased the "Fringe" comics written by Joshua Jackson (review to come!) but I was looking for a cheap, one-and-done comic to kill the boredom.

I had heard many good things about "I, Vampire" so I thought I'd give it a shot. Hey, it was only $1.99.

Holy crap! The book is pretty good.

I am a total newbie to the characters of this book, which apparently go back to 1981.

The plot has vampire Andrew trying to talk down another vampire, Mary, from doing something really horrible. You see, he sired her and it all went downhill from there. While he can keep his sanity and vampire condition in check, she cannot and wants total power.

Her plan is to basically take over the world and kill everyone. But, since this is in the DC Universe there is a hitch.

One of the best lines is Andrew telling Mary "And you think you and your army stands a chance against Superman and a half-dozen Green Lanterns and Wonder Woman and--"

She cuts him off with "Shhh. I'm hunting wabbits."

That one single panel shows off what's right about the book. There are huge stakes. Tons of vampires against the DC heroes, wow. And the book has some humor to it, helps counteract all the blood and killing. Writer Joshua Hale Fialkov does an amazing job to balance the two and push the book to the max.

Especially with the ending. I didn't see it coming. It's like an epic "Lost" style cliffhanger that makes you wonder where the book is going next.

I'm not a huge fan of the art by Andrea Sorrentino. Not to say I hate it, but it's a very unique style that really fits the gothic tone of the book, just not my thing.

And this book and the time when I purchased it shows off another great feature of the New 52 system, especially with online books. I kind of fell in love with this one, now I can immediatly buy the next issues without having to wait for a comic store to open and drive down there.

The future looks bright for the book, especially with Batman showing up in the fifth issue.

Response to negative 'Muppets' reviews

2011-11-28T19:41:00.000-08:00

"The Muppets" was released last week and took the world by storm.
In a move that surprised even us, the film ended up with a 98 percent at Rotten Tomatoes. That is 129 fresh reviews and only three "negative" reviews as of Nov. 28 at 7 p.m.

That's a darn good percentage not just for any movie, but a family movie and a silly one at that.
Now, I won't get into my thoughts on the film (that is saved for the show), but I was reading those three lone reviews and something stuck out to me in each.

If people don't like the film, that's fine with me. Just say "I didn't get it" or "Not my kind of movie."
But in this case some big generalizations were made that kind of made me wonder. More than "heh, yeah right" but "did we see the same movie?"

Take the Chicago Reader's review (which, by the way is less than 150 words). Writer J.R. Jones makes a statement in there that says "except for a few good zingers from balcony dwellers Statler and Waldorf, there isn't much here for mom and dad."

I saw the film Wednesday and right after thought that my 6-year-old niece might not like it because a lot of the stuff might go over her head. And I was in a theater full of adults that were laughing like crazy. You think kids would "get" the '80s robot? That whole gag is totally made for adults.

How many kids would get the gag about Miss Piggy's assistant?

The Village Voice's review throws out a unique statement: "Terrified of alienating those who were raised on the originals, The Muppets panders to them instead, constantly blasting or restaging Top 40 hits from the past three-plus decades, continuing the cheap strategy that worked well on YouTube two years ago with the Muppets’ cover of 'Bohemian Rhapsody.'"

I don't get how playing a Cee-Lo Green song is trying to not alienate people raised on the originals. Maybe if it just played in the background I would think it would be used to grab kids, but the song is re-done to make it fun... for everyone. And to use the words "constantly" is a gross overreach.
Finally, the Globe and Mail makes a hilarious statement: "Several tunes, umpteen cameo appearances, scores of lame jokes and much up-beat sentimentalizing later... (deleted for spoilers sake)...but this old man in the gallery remains unconvinced."

Um, maybe I'm out of touch but, isn't that what the Muppets have always been about? Tunes, cameos, lame jokes and up-beat sentimentalizing? That's what gives it the charm it's always had. Yes Fozzie's fart-shoes are lame, but he's always been a horrible stand-up comic.

And people are supposed to leave the theater happy. It's a feel good movie.

It's not like it's supposed to be some kid friendly version of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."

'Leverage' is back! Thank God

2011-11-28T08:49:00.000-08:00

Last night one of cable's best shows, "Leverage," returned with a batch of eight new episodes.

With apologies to "White Collar" the crew from "Leverage" are the best con artists on TV. In "The Experimental Job" the team took on a college's secret society to help homeless veterans who were being tortured and exploited.

Hardison infiltrated the fraternity while Eliot went in as a vet and as usual Christian Kane stole the episode.

His face off with an interrogator provided more insight into Eliot's shady past and gave him a chance to showcase his badassness. When the interrogator questioned him about the people he's killed, Eliot replied "Names? Dates? Locations? What food was on their breath? What color their eyes were? Want to know the last words they spoke? Want to know which ones deserved it? Or better yet, the ones that didn’t? Want to know which ones begged? Want to know why I know these things…Because I can’t forget. So there’s nothing you can do, no punishment you can hand out that I live with every day. So to answer your question, no, I don’t have a count. I don’t need to.”

Wow Christian Kane. Just wow.

It's no secret that Eliot Spencer is a dangerous man, but his good looks, charm and heroic nature make it easy to forget that he has this mysterious past. Not since season three's "The Big Bang Job" have we gotten such an inside view of who Eliot really is.

Of course Eliot was never broken, however when Hardison was kidnapped it only took him four minutes to break the interrogator. Proving torture does work if Eliot Spencer is the one dispensing it.

The reason "Leverage" continues to work so well is the constantly growing chemistry between the team. Nate and Sophie are dating, Eliot and Hardison are a great odd couple and Parker and Hardison slowly heading toward romance. All these entanglements and their commitment to each week's case make the team a perfect blend.

It also doesn't hurt that the show is genuinely fun to watch. A quality that's in rare supply these days.

Next week's take down at a big corporation is also an "Office" homage. Let's hope they do "The Office" when it was funny.

'WKRP:' Best Thanksgiving TV ever

2011-11-24T06:49:00.000-08:00

Like everyone else we have our own Thanksgiving traditions here at Inscaped. Besides enjoying maple glazed turkey with cornbread stuffing and homemade macaroni and cheese, we also love watching classic Thanksgiving TV.

While "Friends," "How I Met Your Mother" and "The Cosby Show" all offer great episodes, there is no Thanksgiving TV better than "WKRP in Cincinnati" classic "Turkeys Away."

This is the classic episode where Mr. Carlson decides to give away free turkeys, except he misses one important fact about turkeys. Head to Hulu and enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Inscaped for Nov. 22

2011-11-23T18:34:00.000-08:00

Ranking the New 52: Part two

2011-11-22T19:15:00.000-08:00

Just finished reading all the second issues that I wanted to in the DC Comics New 52.

And I'm happy to say there has been some movement in the rankings. I was happy that some issues actually got better. Usually the sophomore slump kills that.

So, without further ado here are the new rankings. I've added the previous rankings next to them to see movement:

1. "Batgirl" (No. 1)
1. "Aquaman" (No. 2)
2. "Nightwing" (No. 3)
3. "Justice League" (No. 5)
4. "Red Lanterns" (No. 4)
5. "Animal Man" (No. 5)
6. "Green Lantern Corps" (No. 9)
7. "Batman" (No. 10)
8. "Demon Knights" (No. 8)
9. "Detective Comics" (No. 7)
10. "Flash" (No. 11)
11. "Mister Terrific" (NA)
12. "Batwoman" (No. 12)
13. "JLI" (No. 13)
14. "Wonder Woman" (No. 15)
15. "Static Shock" (No. 17)
16. "Resurrection Man" (No. 14)
17. "New Guardians"(No. 20)
18. "Green Arrow" (No. 22)
19. "Green Lantern" (No. 29)
20. "Action Comics" (No. 32)

Also decided to drop "Suicide Squad" and "Red Hood and the Outlaws" after the second issues, so they are off the list.

A sneak peek of third issue rankings will find "Batman" moving up along with "Green Lantern Corps." "Batman" may turn out to be one of the best books if it keeps going how it is.

'Gnomeo and Juliet:' Ridiculous and great

2011-11-21T18:07:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year "Gnomeo and Juliet," an adorable little movie about feuding garden gnomes came and went from theaters very quickly and quietly.

Well it turns out the film, which is based on Shakespeare's classic play, is hilariously surreal and deserves a lot more attention than its received.

James McAvoy and Emily Blunt provide the voices of the star-crossed lovers with Michael Caine, Dame Maggie Smith, Stephen Merchant, Ashley Jensen and Jason Statham also doing voice work.

What made the movie so great, was even though it didn't shy away from some of the more tragic twists of "Romeo and Juliet" it stayed firmly within the fun, animated world it created.

One of the funnier running gags was how in the middle of all the fighting and craziness the gnomes would return to being statues whenever people would appear.

The film was also helped by an upbeat soundtrack of music by its executive producer Elton John.

It wasn't the masterpiece that Pixar produces or the polished product of Dreamworks, but "Gnomeo and Juliet" was an irreverent, enjoyable movie that was definitely one of the best animated films of the year.

Here's hoping it gets a push during Oscar season.

New 'Avengers' images

2011-11-20T13:02:00.000-08:00

In our continuing obsession with all things "Avengers," here are the new ad banners. The top one features the four main heroes, while the bottom one focuses on the supporting S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

My one complaint: the absence of the badass agent Coulson. Marvel get on this and give Coulson his own poster.

Inscaped for Nov. 17

2011-11-18T19:20:00.001-08:00

Battle of the 'Snow White' movies

2011-11-15T19:55:00.000-08:00

Last week we were treated to the first trailer for "Snow White and the Huntsman," otherwise known as the Kristen Stewart version.

My first reaction was "wha?"

Why is Snow White in battle armor? My brain hurts.

I put a lot of faith in the other Snow White movie "Mirror Mirror," because Julia Roberts is the Evil Queen in that one and Tarsem is directing it. Good enough combo for me.

But, then I saw the trailer tonight...

What... the... hell...

I don't even know what I'm supposed to say about that. Visually it looks great, then the characters open their mouths.

The Evil Queen is supposed to be EVIL, not a funny, "Devil Wears Prada"-esque, "let's throw a bunch of crap in a blender" character.

And the dialogue... "Snow-way!" "You can rub my tummy!"

I may have to let this digest over the next few days.

Tim's show of the week: 'Community'

2011-11-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

All it took was getting a song stuck in my head for almost a week!

"Community" took an otherwise boring Thursday night and hit the comedic equivalent of a home run with "Studies in Modern Movement."

But, it almost wasn't the best of the week.

This last week was a toughy.

"CSI" was a really good episode that actually made me start liking the Ted Danson character. That has to count for something.

And "A Gifted Man" was so good (as it usually is) that I actually had to pick my jaw up off the floor at certain parts.

But, laughing until I was in tears won out. As it should.

The episode was all about Annie moving in with Troy and Abed, but Jeff pretending to be sick so he didn't have to help.

Of course, he was caught. By the Dean, which made it funnier because he was essentially blackmailed into this (note what the Dean is wearing):

I must have watched that clip a dozen times since Thursday and I'm still laughing. I love the cheesiness of it and the karaoke camerawork is amazing.

Everyone had great moments in the show, which always makes for a great episode. Well, expect Ken Jeong who was missing from the episode.
But, bonus gold stars go to Jim Rash who was the MVP of the episode. Sometimes the Dean character can be a bit too much, but that last episode was the perfect amount.

It's just too bad that NBC is leaving "Community" off it's midseason schedule.
BOO!

My hope is that the USA Network can pick the show up. Wouldn't it be perfect paired with "Psych?"

A 'Doctor Who' movie without The Doctor

2011-11-14T16:24:00.000-08:00

Today "Harry Potter" director David Yates announced that he was working with BBC Worldwide on a "Doctor Who" movie.

At first glance that sounds like the most exciting news ever. Imagine seeing Matt Smith or possibly David Tennant having an action-packed romp through time and space in the TARDIS joined by Amy, Rose, Martha or Capt. Jack.

Unfortunately, none of that will come true because Yates wants to reboot the story and start over.

Wait, what? Start over?

Why would you start over when you have access to 50 years of mythology and character development, along with actors who already understand the complex nature of bring The Doctor and his companions to life?

Yates said that everything would need to be redone from the ground up, meaning none of the current television timeline would be used.

So just so we're clear, you're going to take one of the most popular television franchises of all time, transfer to the big screen, but not use any of the story that made it so popular in the first place?

Wow that's sound decision making.

While it's nice that BBC is involved, it's extremely disingenuous of them to make this movie (a clear money grab) and not treat it like love letter to the fans that have made "Doctor Who" its most valuable property.

Yates says the film is three to four years away, since he has so much work and planning to do.

In the meantime, "Doctor Who" faithful can enjoy Steven Moffat and Matt Smith's fantastic work and hope that someone comes to their senses before this abomination hits theaters.

Inscaped for Nov. 10

2011-11-10T18:37:00.001-08:00

Heavy D: 1967-2011

2011-11-09T08:15:00.000-08:00

For anyone who grew up during the hip-hop/dance music days of the '90s, Heavy D and the Boyz were the architects of some of the best club jams ever.

Dwight "Heavy D" Myers passed away Nov. 8 after being found unconscious in his home and the rushed to the hospital.

Though his signature hit was "Now That We Found Love," he was also known for "The Overweight Lover's In the House" and "Is It Good To You." He also recorded the theme song for "In Living Color."

Though he doesn't get as much credit as his contemporaries Will Smith and LL Cool J, he was just as responsible for rap's increasing mainstream appeal. His cool lyrics and infinitely danceable beats caused suburban teenagers to request his music on pop stations and had his videos in high rotation on MTV.

When his rap career began to fade he turned to acting with recurring parts on "Living Single," "Bones" and "Boston Public" and roles in "The Cider House Rules," "Step Up" and the recently released "Tower Heist."

He recently made a stage comeback at the Michael Jackson Tribute Concert and the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards, which makes this news all the more sad.

"In Living Color" is scheduled to return to TV in the spring, so here's hoping they keep the theme song as a nice tribute to Heavy D.

My DC New 52 drop list pt. 1

2011-11-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

As Stephanie and I continue to cover DC Comics New 52 initiative, there are bound to be comics that either of us end up not liking.

And since we're not made of money, there are books that we're bound to drop; or just stop reading.
So far I've read 32 of the 52. I think I'm really at the point where I might be done with trying new ones out. I think I may try "Superboy," perhaps "Mister Terrific," but that's it.

Out of those 32, I've decided to drop seven books: "Justice League Dark," "Red Hood," "Teen Titans," "Suicide Squad," "Hawkman," "Firestorm" and "Stormwatch."

In this post I'm going to talk about the four books I like to call "one and done." These are comics that I gave one issue to catch my interest and did not.

"Stormwatch" probably has the easiest excuse: it was not reader friendly at all. To be fair, I've never read a "Stormwatch" comic previous to this. What interested me what the addition of Martian Manhunter and writer Paul Cornell.

Cornell's "Action Comics" run with Lex Luthor as the lead character was amazing stuff. It was like the crack of comics to me, I would have paid a lot more for each issue than I did.
The problem was that outside of Martian Manhunter I had no clue who these characters were and it read like I should. The dialogue was good, but I was just confused. And when I'm paying $2.99 a month, I don't want to be confused.
I also read "Fury of Firestorm" because of writers Gail Simone and Ethan Van Sciver. Also, to be fair, I've never really been a huge fan of Firestorm. But, with these guys behind the book I thought I'd give it a try.
Now I've read that "Blackest Night" did happen in the New 52 universe, so I thought "OK, cool." What I didn't think of was that overall "Blackest Night" happened, but that doesn't mean every single thing during "Blackest Night" happened.
Like everything to do with the character of Firestorm.
This book is not only a total reboot of the character, but just not my cup of tea. I get that the two characters don't like each other, but then the race card gets thrown in and I'm just out. Like with "Stormwatch," I liked most of the dialogue just fine.

Steph's show of the week: 'The Good Wife'

2011-11-07T15:41:00.000-08:00

Hey, I found some Schweddy Balls

2011-11-07T13:18:00.000-08:00

And in the least likely place possible.

I should also mention this went a lot better than the last time I tried a weird ice cream sight unseen:

Inscaped for Nov. 4

2011-11-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

Inscaped for Oct. 27

2011-11-01T21:39:00.001-07:00

Why 'Glee' can't be fixed?

2011-11-01T21:09:00.001-07:00

Originally this was going to be a blog all about how to fix "Glee" and return it to its former glory.

However, following tonight's episode "Pot O' Gold," it appears that the show can't be fixed and doesn't really want to be.

"Glee" started out as a fun comedy about a group of quirky outsiders who band together in the glee club to take on the world. Though they all fit certain high school stereotypes, the characters had heart and made viewers care about them.

Now tons of success and three years later, the show has become a parody full of caricatures. As great as she is, Jane Lynch is being wasted as Sue Sylvester. She shows up and yells insults at the kids, drops one liner about Matthew Morrison's hair and stomps away. Come on, she could do that in her sleep.

Also the musical numbers are starting to blend together. Sure the magnificent ones stand out, but those have become more fleeting in recent episodes.

The problems seem to start with the writing. The stories have become so over the top ridiculous that they're not even plausible by "Glee" standards. Not to mention the characters have either been written into a boring corner or made completely unlikeable.

Despite producers' assurance that the show is headed back to basics and will focus more on the core group this season, the series shows no signs of improvement. Even more disturbing, no one seems to be concerned with righting the plane. Everyone involved seems content to just ride things out until the bitter end.

With sub-standard writing and producers who seem more interested in pursuing other shows, the show will become the new "Heroes" even faster than expected.

My 'best of' New 52 list

2011-10-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

"Batgirl"
"Aquaman"
"Nightwing"
"Red Lanterns"
"Justice League"
"Animal Man"
"Detective Comics"
"Demon Knights"
"Green Lantern Corps"
"Batman"
"The Flash"
"Batwoman"
"Justice League International"
"Resurrection Man"
"Wonder Woman"
"Batman and Robin"
"Static Shock"
"Capt. Atom"
"The Dark Knight"
"New Guardians"
"Superman"
"Green Arrow"
"Justice League Dark"
"Red Hood"
"Teen Titans"
"Suicide Squad"
"Hawkman"
"Green Lantern"
"Firestorm"
"Stormwatch"
"Action Comics"

This is based solely on the first issues alone. Many of these spots have changed since I've read the second issue, and that list will be along at the first of next month.

I can say there are at least 4-5 books that I plan on dropping. I will pick up five additional books to make up for that.

'X Factor' finds its top 12

2011-10-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

After what seemed liked an eternity, "The X Factor" finally made it to the live shows with 17 acts that needed to be narrowed down to 12. Which meant each judge had to cut someone from their category, or in Simon's case two someones.

The Groups

As the groups' mentor Paula's particular brand of crazy didn't take long to show up. Her song choices were nothing short of ridiculous. Unfortunately, The Brewer Boys became a casualty of her insanity when she gave them a mash up of Hall & Oates "Rich Girl" and George Michaels' "Faith." They sounded great on the Hall & Oates song, which made me wonder why she didn't have them do a medley if she was so desperate for a mash up.

InTENsity seems destined for a Disney Channel series about a group of friends who start a band and eventually all date each other. The problem with those shows and the group is that the members are interchangeable. If no one knows your name, will they vote for you?

Stereo Hogzz and Lakoda Rayne were fine but neither one of them will win the competition so who cares.

The Girls

I've been wondering all along why Simon chose Simone Battle to make it this far, when she clearly has cruise ship/theme park performer written all over her. Last night she wasn't even good enough for a Disney parade with that trainwreck of a performance. Tiah Tolliver also had a bad night and became the other girl eliminated in the least surprising moment of the show.

Here's the thing, Rachel, Drew and Melanie have been Simon's favorites from day one so it's absolutely no surprise that they ended up as his final three.

The Over 30s

Again, why Nicole gave a final spot to the ridiculous Dexter Haygood over someone who could have actually given a real performance and not a overexcited karaoke rendition of "I Kissed a Girl" and "Womanizer" is beyond me. He was mercifully eliminated.

The interesting question came when Simon asked if Stacy Francis was a church singer or a pop star? I see her as a church singer who can sing pop, but I'm not sure she can sell records in today's pop climate. If she went the gospel route, she could become a bona fide star.

The Boys

I have been anti-Brian Bradley since day one so it pains me to write this next line; he was actually good last night. As a matter of fact the boys were the only group with 100 percent good performances. L.A. Reid chose to eliminate Phillip Lomax after giving him a very cruise ship version of "I'm a Believer" to sing.

If he made his decision with his ears and not his wallet, he would have picked Chris Rene to go home. While Chris' story is heartbreaking and great, his voice was not better than Phillip's last night.

So after last night's eliminations the categories remain like this:
Groups: Lakoda Rayne, InTENsity, Stereo Hogzz
Girls: Rachel Crow, Drew, Melanie Amaro
Over 30s: Stacy Francis, Leroy Bell, Josh Krajcik
Boys: Brian "Astro" Bradley, Marcus Canty, Chris Rene

Next week will start the public vote along with the inevitable theme weeks. While theme weeks are usually predictable, they do show the weaknesses of the contestants and help thin the herd.

Fox is making it hard to be a 'Fringe' fan

2011-10-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

I've enjoyed "Fringe" since it first started. Every single episode I've been there watching. I have the DVD sets and everything.

But, Fox seems to be doing everything in it's power cancel the show.

First it got moved to the dreaded Friday death slot. You know, where every good show goes to die. Hey "Firefly" fans!

Then Fox goes and does something beyond idiotic.

So the last new episode aired on Oct. 14. I am usually home and waiting by the television to watch "Fringe," but that night something came up. And I even forgot to DVR it.

I didn't fret because I figured, "hey I'll watch it online." Not so fast.

Hulu stated the episode was locked for eight days. Seriously?

I head to the Fox website and it said I could watch it if I had a certain cable provider. Apparently Charter isn't good enough.

When a show's ratings are sinking each and every week you think the idea would be to get the show out to as many people as possible, not punish people that don't have certain providers.

Technically it's my fault for going out on a Friday night (heaven forbid) and loving the show so much I watch it live (and not DVR it). But Fox, come on.

Just look how many people don't watch it live. According to TVByTheNumbers.com "Fringe" has a 62 percent increase of ratings from people watching it later.

Sometimes I feel like I'm in a parallel universe with Fox.

'Once Upon A Time:' Two shows for the price of one

2011-10-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

ABC's ambitious new drama "Once Upon A Time" follows fairy tale characters who have been cursed to live in the real world without any knowledge of their true selves.

Viewers are introduced to the fairy tale world first, with the classic scene of Prince Charming riding up to save Snow White by awakening her with a kiss. Then everything shifts to their wedding which is interrupted by the Evil Queen cursing the happy occupants of fairy tale land.

The action picks up in the real world where bail bond agent Emma Swan tracks down a bail jumper by setting up a blind date with the criminal, chasing him down and beating him up, all while wearing a tight red dress and stiletto heels.

After a lot of set up that involved Emma meeting the son she gave up for adoption and taking him back to Storybrooke, ME viewers were introduced to real world versions of the fairy tale characters.

The Evil Queen is Regina the mayor, Snow White is sweet schoolteacher and Rumplestiltskin is ruthless business man Mr. Gold.

The real problem with "Once Upon A Time" is that it's two shows in one, neither being very well developed. The pilot felt disjointed and unsure of itself. The producers don't seem to know whether they want it to be a serialized drama like "Lost" or a fairy tale adventure.

For a show featuring some of literature's most enduring personalities, they were very one note and predictable.

Of all the fairy tale characters, the only interesting person was Prince Charming, who is unfortunately in a coma in the real world.

The only thing saving the show from its overly complicated premise is the strength of the cast, which includes Jennifer Morrison as Emma, Lana Parilla as Regina, Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White and Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin.

Though it's always hard to judge a show by its pilot, "Once Upon A Time" will have to conjure up some powerful magic to keep the average TV viewer interested in the convoluted plot.

DC new 52: The second issues

2011-10-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

Today we continue our ongoing DC new 52 coverage with reviews of three of the best comics of the relaunch.

"Justice League #2"

Geoff Johns and Jim Lee pick up right where No. 1 left off with an awesome battle featuring Superman vs. Green Lantern and Batman. The artwork in the fight scenes is superb as the green of Hal Jordan's constructs really pops off the page.

Johns quickly establishes that this is not the Superman or Lantern that everyone is familiar with by having them exchange a lot of snarky banter during the fight. In a clever bit of role reversal, Green Lantern has to convince Flash to join the fight, while Barry Allen is the voice of reason who claims he can't come because he has to work.

Perhaps the most fun aspect of this whole sequence is that it's Batman who puts stop to everything with diplomacy and understanding.

While the first issue established that super-humans aren't seen as the heroes we know them as in this new universe, the second issue builds on that idea by having them openly flaunt longtime characteristics and ideals. However, it's those changes that makes the story interesting and a definite page turner.

"Nightwing #2"

I was on the fence about adding "Nightwing" to my pull list but ultimately couldn't resist reading Dick Grayson's return to normal life, following his stint as Batman.

The first issue jumped right in with Grayson acknowledging how being Batman improved his skills and helped him rediscover who he really he is. It's nice to read a story that doesn't completely rewrite history and has nods to some of the pre-established universe.

The first arc of Nightwing's story will deal with him returning to Haly's Circus, where he grew up and lost his parents. In "Nightwing #2" Grayson battles a mysterious a assassin who thinks he is Gotham's fiercest killer and reconnects with a dying Mr. Haly who leaves him the circus.

One of the things I've always found surprising about Dick Grayson is how he gets so many women. This time it's an old friend from the circus, Raya, who he romances on one of Bruce Wayne's private jets. Ok the private jet helps.

After another attack from the assassin, Mr. Haly dies in Dick's arms telling him everything can be traced back to secrets surrounding the circus.

What has been great about "Nightwing" is seeing Dick get back to his roots and enjoy life without the added responsibility of being Batman and caring for Damian Wayne. He is once again a carefree young man who fights crime because he wants to, not because he has to.

Dick is also scheduled to make an appearance in the next issue of "Batgirl" so it will be interesting to see if any of the drama he's dealing with affects his relationship with Barbara Gordon.

"Action Comics #2"

Other than "Batgirl" and "Justice League," there was no comic I was more excited to read than "Action Comics." Unfortunately, the first issue was majorly disappointing. It mainly involved Superman running from government officials who threw everything at him but the kitchen sink to bring him down. And who else would be leading the charge but Lex Luthor.

The issue ends with Superman finally being brought down, so "Action Comics #2" begins with him held captive and enduring intense torture and questioning. The surprise here is that issue two was a huge improvement with Superman displaying some great personality in his banter with Luthor and Lex showing signs of the sociopath he will become.

The only real awkwardness came when Lois showed up at the base to whine about Superman's imprisonment. This wasn't the strong, capable Lois we've come to know and love. This Lois was whiney, spoiled and self-involved. Hopefully, the character evolves once she becomes more central to the story.

As much as I liked issue two, the cliffhanger made it seem as if the upcoming action will revolve around a love triangle. While I trust Grant Morrison's writing, I have to ask, a love triangle? Really?

After careful consideration, I've decided to give "Action Comics" one more issue before I make a final decision on whether or not to take it off my pull list. However, right now it's not looking good.

Inscaped for Oct. 13

2011-10-14T17:09:00.001-07:00

Best movie trailer (for a film coming out before 'Avengers')

2011-10-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

Since we can't wait until May for "The Avengers," it's a little easier knowing we have about a month before "The Muppets" comes out.

I've loved trailer and clip I've seen from the film so far and this is no different. I've watched it twice and laughed both times.

People I know that never go to the movies are even excited for this one. Take that Tony Stark!

Top selling 52 books

2011-10-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

So we are done with the total month of DC Comics New 52.

Of course, "Justice League" was the top book out of all the new releases. But, there are some surprises in Diamond's list of the top selling comics.

2. "Batman"
3. "Action Comics"
4. "Green Lantern"
5. "The Flash"
6. "Superman"
7. "Detective Comics"
8. "Batman The Dark Knight"
9. "Batman and Robin"
10. "Green Lantern: New Guardians"

"Batgirl," "Wonder Woman" and "Green Lantern Corps" followed.

What is not surprising is the total dominance of the Bat titles. People love them some Batman.

A bit surprising to see "Flash" so high up, but it's still a good thing.

The worst selling titles? "OMAC," "Men of War" and "Static Shock," which is too bad because it is a good book.

'Avengers' trailer is out and it's glorious

2011-10-11T14:26:00.000-07:00

There is not a movie Tim and I are more excited about than "The Avengers." Today the eagerly anticipated trailer was released and it is everything we were waiting for and more.

We'll talk about it in detail on this week's "Inscaped." However, in the meantime caution this footage may send viewers into a nerd coma. It's that awesome.

'The X Factor' ignites a new British/American war

2011-10-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

Simon Cowell has finally brought his long running British reality hit "The X Factor" to the States, unfortunately all the talent was left in the U.K.

In a fun twist of fate, both versions of the show are airing concurrently with the Brits two weeks ahead of the yanks.

"X Factor U.K." just had its first week of live shows, while American "X Factor" is heading to judge's houses.

In a head to head comparison of judges, hosts and contestants the results are clear, this time the British are winning.

Judges

"X Factor U.K." went through a complete judging overhaul with Louis Walsh as the only returning judge. For most shows this would be disastrous, however, the change has breathed new life into the competition.

Pop stars Gary Barlow, Tulisa Contostavlos and Kelly Rowland bring actual credentials to a singing competition (something very rare) and genuinely care about the singers they mentor. They actually give relevant criticism that is helpful to the contestants and have a fun chemistry with each other. If you ignore the increasingly useless Louis, they're the best judging panel on TV.

At the other end of the spectrum is the "X Factor U.S." judges who, besides Simon, have not been very impressive so far. Paula is her usual ridiculous self, Nicole Scherzinger has lost any goodwill she built up on "The Sing Off," can't seem to say anything negative and cries at the drop of a dime, while L.A. Reid is constantly competing wit Simon to be the alpha male.

In the middle of all this the judges have forgotten that the contestants are the stars and constantly steal the spotlight.

Advantage U.K.

Hosts

This one isn't even close as the stiff and forced "X Factor U.S." Steve Jones can't touch the James Bond swagger of the U.K.'s Dermot O'Leary. Like Ryan Seacrest, Dermot is great at comforting contestants when they falter. He lets them cry it out, hugs them and lets them know it will be OK. To be fair, this is Jones' first season, so hopefully he'll improve, but right now Dermot is schooling him.

Advantage U.K.

Contestants

Until the finals of boot camp the American singers weren't very impressive, meanwhile the U.K. singers were spectacular from day one. Several immensely talented people were cut at judge's houses. Right now on "X Factor U.S." it's clear who the front runners are and short of a miracle they'll all make it to the live shows.

Misha Bryan took "Rolling in the Deep" and did the impossible by making it completely original and a new song.

The only American singer who approached that level of talent was young Rachel Crowe's rendition of "If I Were A Boy."

It's close but advantage U.K.

Since the British version is clearly better and more popular Simon should consider a crossover episode where the contestants visit each other's shows. Imagine the publicity and ratings that would generate.

Inscaped for Oct. 6

2011-10-07T18:28:00.001-07:00

Inscaped for Sept. 29

2011-10-06T19:05:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

2011-10-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

When people die it's easy to overstate their importance or rewrite their legacy. However, when we say Steve Jobs was a visionary, that may be understating things.

The co-founder/CEO of Apple died Oct. 6 at the age of 56 from pancreatic cancer.

Jobs literally helped invent the modern world. The Macintosh was the first personal computer, the iPod changed the way we listened to music, when he said the iPhone would reinvent the phone he didn't lie and the iPad will no doubt lead even more advance inventions that will shape the future.

"Steve Jobs was the greatest inventor since Thomas Edison. He put the world at our fingertips," said Steven Spielberg in a statement.

It wasn't just the products that came out of his tenure at Apple, it's the devices that other companies were inspired to invent. Without the iPhone there would be no Android, the iPod made mp3 players the normal way to listen to music and would there be a Kindle without the iPad?

"Steve was among the greatest of American innovators-brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world and talented enough to do it," said President Barack Obama in a statement.

In 1986 when no one knew what the company was capable of Jobs purchased Pixar from Lucasfilm for $10 million. Obviously that investment paid off and he once again pioneered a new technology and helped bring countless hours of entertainment to children of all ages. Though the studio had become successful and he didn't need to be a part of daily decisions, he still showed up for story and animation meetings, offering his opinion and expertise when it was needed.

Earlier this summer at the D23 expo Pixar storyboard artist Ronnie Del Carmen told a story about pitching the ending to "Ratatouille" to Jobs and John Lasseter. When he concluded his pitch, both men hugged him and Jobs told him the sequence was perfect. He described it as the greatest moment of his professional career. There no doubt hundreds of tech professionals who have similar stories.

"His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built," said Walt Disney President/CEO Bob Iger in a statement. "It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed and the culture he defined."

The one thing that all these statements have in common is that they refer to Jobs as a visionary, creative genius and rare original.

No one has had the impact on the modern world that Jobs had and short of his competitor/colleague Bill Gates, perhaps no one ever will again.

"The world has lost a visionary and there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented," Obama said.

Choose your 'Destiny,' just not here

2011-10-04T19:30:00.000-07:00

As in, this game sucks.

I'm a sucker for "X-Men" games. I'll go out of my way to play any and all of them. I still have a PS2 copy of "X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse" that I still play.

Which is probably why this stings more than it should.

I knew the game was coming out and I'd been checking local Redbox locations for the game. I finally found one about three miles from my work, so I woke up extra early to go down and get.

Then, of course, I sat at work all day just wanting to play it.

When I finally got home I shot putted the game right into my PS3 and gripped the controller like I was ready for action.

Too bad the game wasn't. It had to install a bunch of files first.

And when I say a bunch of files, I mean it literally took 30 minutes to do. That right there should have told me to power off and take the game back, but noooooo I love "X-Men" games too much.

So I waited. Finally after what seemed forever the game started.

And all I could think was "meh."

The graphics are bad. Not just bad, but if this was on a Playstation 2 people would still be complaining. I literally sat there thinking "people thought this looked good enough to sell?"

The plot is alright. The X-Men and humans are at a rally when all heck breaks loose. You choose one of three characters at the rally: a Japanese girl who is smuggled into the country and who's parents are mutants, a mutant hater and a jock that doesn't really care either way.

You see the chaos at the rally causes mutant powers to come out and your character must decide what to do. And another lame thing, you only get to choose from three powers: energy blasts, shadow swords or rock like armor.

I pick the best character plot wise, the mutant hater. This is where the game took another bad left turn. He accepts being a mutant WAY too fast. As a man who has been taught mutants are evil his entire life I thought it would take more than 10 minutes of game time to be pals with the X-Men.

The game makes a big deal about choices as well. At various points you can choose between working with the X-Men or the Brotherhood. But, there is no incentive to do either. I kept wishing for a third option where the guy tells both off and walks away.

At least the X-Men are cool, the Brotherhood doesn't come off as that at all.

Another notch against the game? You basically fight three groups of people... the entire game. It's literally mashing buttons like crazy against guys in red, then mashing buttons like crazy against guys in white. Then a boss.

And a majority of the boss battles are hilarious... in a bad way. There is really no challenge here. I think I took down 90 percent of the bosses in my first try, without blocking or anything.

But, Tim, you also get to fight alongside the X-Men or Brotherhood! That would be cool if you could tell what the heck is going on. Between the bad graphics and carpal tunnel inducing button mashing it's all a blur of ugly colors.

OK, the game does have a few shining spots. Mike Carey, who writes "X-Men Legacy" handles the script for the game and I'll give him credit for keeping the characters acting who they should be. Never once did I think "OK, Wolverine wouldn't do that."

Two of the boss battles were pretty cool. One you fight John Sublime who keeps injecting himself with powers until he is a giant. Then near the end you find a full sized Sentinal on top of a building.

And you can change costumes and secondary powers. This could have been cool, but there isn't enough there for me to care if my character's outfit looks like Wolverine.

My advice? Pass.

All about 'Castle'

2011-10-03T20:22:00.000-07:00

My love for "Castle" is well documented, so stick with me.

The first Richard Castle graphic novel was released last week: "Deadly Storm."

The graphic novel is based on the Derrick Storm novels that Castle has written (and have been talked about extensively on the show.)

Of course Castle doesn't write the graphic novel, but comic veterans Brian Michael Bendis and Kelly Sue Deconnick do along with art by Lan Medina.

And you wouldn't even notice.

The book has the same style and humor that the character of Castle projects.

The plot follows private investigator Storm pulled into working for the CIA and assassins. "Castle" fans are used to only hearing about Storm in passing, so this is a big treat to be able to read his first adventure.

And the book is REALLY good. There are twists and turns (including one I didn't see coming at all), laughs and some good action moments. Reading it, the thought of "this could be a great movie" pops up now and again.

The art is also well-done, especially making Storm look a lot like Nathan Fillion... or Castle as you will.

Another fun part of the graphic novel is on the sleeve: a list of other books by Castle. And near the end of the book it goes into great detail to tell the plot of each Castle book. And that part is really fun because it plays on moments from the show where Castle talks about how he got the idea for that specific Storm book.

Speaking of books, the newest Nikki Heat book, "Heat Rises," was also released recently AND debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list.

That makes me really happy to see that the little show that could is doing great and is a full fledged hit and franchise.

I've only started to read the book, but was already hit by the dedication:

"To Captain Roy Montgomery, NYPD. He made a stand and taught me all I need to know about bravery and character."

I really started to get a little emotional, then I remembered it's just a television show...

'Doctor Who' goes out in style

2011-10-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

The fantastic thing about Steven Moffat's "Doctor Who" is that you never quite know where you stand.

That element of the show was on full display in the series six finale "The Wedding of River Song."

The episode began with all manner of time anomalies like pterodactyls, hot air balloon cars, steam trains and Winston Churchill as Caesar. When The Doctor is brought forth as a prisoner, he explains that a women has done something with time. Of course he means River as he begins to tell his story leading up to the events of "The Impossible Astronaut."

This all happens by about five minutes in, and instantly it's the most confusing episode of "Doctor Who" ever. That's saying something on a show about an immortal time traveler whose blue police box spaceship is bigger on the inside.

Once it is revealed that it's indeed River in the astronaut suit, she decides not to kill The Doctor and everything goes "wibbly wobbly timey wimey" and it's back to Churchill Caesar.

With all these crazy time problems the Silence aren't far behind and naturally mysterious marks begin to show up on The Doctor's arm. Fortunately, Amy and Rory show up as kickass commandos and save the day.

In the new timeline Amy remembers The Doctor and Rory but doesn't recognize the awesome Capt. Williams as her parents.

Let's take a moment and discuss the complete badass that Rory has become. When he stayed behind to fight off the escaping Silence he officially won the title of best companion ever. Arthur Darvill is so spectacular at simultaneously portraying Rory the heroic "last centurion" while also never losing site of the dorkiness that makes him so lovable.

In the end The Doctor had to convince River to let him die so that time could be reset. Before she agreed to do it, he married her and shared his plan to have a Tesselecta robot take his place.

He later explained that he had gotten too big and famous and it was time for his to go back into the shadows. This comment signaled a return to The Doctor's roots as a secret operator who doesn't like extra attention.

The best of the rest:

The Doctor wasn't ready to say goodbye and said he could help Rose Tyler with her homework or go to all Jack's stag parties. I bet Jack has the best stags.

It wasn't until he heard about the death of the Brigadier that The Doctor accepted his fate. This was a nice tribute to the late Nicholas Courtney.

Amy's line before she killed evil eye patch lady was so satisfying. "River didn't get it all from you sweetie."

It's nice to see that River visits Amy and Rory and calls them mom and dad.

Steven Moffat cleverly hid the answer to everything in plain sight in regards to The Doctor's death.

Though the finale brilliantly tied up all the loose ends, there's still that little matter of "the question." What happens if it gets answered? Knowing Moffat, he may leave that one hanging for awhile and start a new mythology in series seven.

Three reasons I might like 'Wolverine and the X-Men'

2011-09-29T18:33:00.000-07:00

Already blogged about how the X-Men are splitting into two groups.

As with that blog, I think it was obvious I wasn't really excited about any of it.

Until now...

So Wolverine is building a school for mutants back in New York, where they started.

OK, cool. But, the name is kind of cool.

The Jean Grey School of Higher Learning.

Not only is that a pretty nice name, but you have to figure it's going to piss Cyclops off.

And then we get a tease of what the school is going to look like:

I am really digging the futuristic and sci-fi take on it. Plus, a place for Iceman to chill.

And this last photo just sealed the deal that I will be picking up the first issue:

Count me in!

'Glee' has hit 'Heroes' territory

2011-09-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time "Glee" was a fun, heartwarming show about a group of misfits who sang and danced their way into our hearts. Now, it's this ridiculous parody of what it once was.

There was a time when the character's differences were celebrated, but last night Quinn was constantly berated for being different. Sure she was hanging out with a bad crowd, but did she really have to change her look back into the blond perfect princess to be acceptable.

Also, her scheming to get back her happy child from Shelby undercuts the maturity and selflessness of her original decision.

It was great to see Will call her on her selfish behavior and ungratefulness.

In a completely ridiculous, over the top moment, Kurt auditions for Tony "West Side Story" by singing Barbra Streisand's "I'm the Greatest Star." I'm sorry but someone as into musical theater as he is would never choose that song to audition with. He would know better and sing something from the show.

And I get that he's upset that Blaine is a better Tony, but shouldn't he be happy for the boy he loves so much.

At this point "Glee" has become a chore to watch and is only still palatable because of the musical numbers. Not since "Heroes" has a show gone from so good to so terrible so fast.

Every joke, so-called sweet moment and most of the dialogue feels forced. The really bad news is that the ratings have begun to reflect the diminishing quality of the series. Unless Ryan Murphy and Co. want to become the next "Heroes" they need to consider making some changes.

Everything else:

What is the point of Sugar and her anti-glee club? Cut this storyline now.

That Idina Menzel/Lea Michele duet was explosive.

Darren Criss is too talented for this sinking ship. "Something's Coming" was fantastic.

The casting session with Artie, Emma and Beiste was hilarious. The show needs more scenes like this. They are what made them a hit.